Mass Effect: War of Empires
by Ranger9000
Summary: In a universe where a scheduling error results in a drastically different humanity then canon. Multiple human empires and spaceborne states square off against eachother and the universe at large in equal parts. How is the universe effected by a divided humanity? As lines are drawn, and war always is looming on the horizon.
1. Chapter 1

August 2, 1934: Paul von Hindenburg, president of the Weimar Republic, dies of lung cancer at the age 86. In his place, Adolf Hitler, head of the National Socialists Party, uses the president's death to take control of the Republic and turns it into a dictatorship.

December 19, 1934: Through a scheduling mishap, Hitler ends up personally present at the A2 rocket test launch. Designed by Wernher von Braun the rocket design was being sponsored by the German Army. He ends up impressed by the device and mentions that the Wehrmacht should increase the project's funding.

February 10th, 1935: Development of the A3 rocket begins. Initial draft versions made the device quite similar to a scaled up A2. Early in the design process Wernher changes the design to include more significant tail fins.

September 17th, 1935: Due to increased funding and manpower, the first A3 test launch date was moved up dramatically. The design experiences issues with its internal guidance system, but achieves stable flight during the second test that day, before landing close to its target area.

November 5th, 1935: Development of the A4 rocket begins, designed to be a full scale rocket that could carry a significant payload for use in potential future conflicts. It is essentially a scaled up A3 design.

June 7th, 1936: The first test firing of the A4 rocket commences. Hitler is once again present at the launch. The design experiences a technical failure and does not properly turn into a parabolic arc. Instead the rocket continues upwards until its engine burns out. The unguided missile reaches almost 196 kilometers into the air before the engine burns out. The device did not have enough speed to escape earth's orbit, and falls back to earth in the China Sea sometime later. Hitler and some of the Wehrmacht staff present are impressed by the rocket's achievable height. Hitler is so intrigued with the idea that he begins diverting funding from other projects to von Braun's team.

July 11th, 1936: Plans are drawn up for a manned A4 rocket that could achieve controlled sub-orbital flight. Modifications are rapidly made by von Braun's team.

January 26th, 1937: Female Aviator Hanna Reitsch, the selected test pilot the project, takes off for the first sub orbital flight attempt. The flight is successful, and lands in the Indian Ocean where the recently completed German Destroyer Leberecht Maass picks up the pilot and rocket.

February 1st, 1937: Despite the best attempts my the German military to suppress the information. News quickly breaks out about the first human space flight. Images of the A4 rocket, taken by the crew of a British tanker that had been passing Leberecht Maass around the Cape of Good Hope circulate. The exact design of the A4 remains a secret at this point.

February 3rd, 1937: One of the scientists that was part of Von Braun's team takes copies of the crewed A4's blueprints and flees to Poland with his family. He quickly began selling his information to nearly any government that wanted it. Germany attempts to have the scientist extradited but Poland refuses. War seems like it might be on the horizon, but a Polish-Czechoslovakian alliance causes Germany to back down.

June 22nd, 1937: The United Kingdom launches its first manned mission into space using a copy of the A4 rocket. The launch takes the pilot from the British Isles all the way to British Egypt.

June 29th, 1937: The Soviet Union launches its first manned mission to space. The launch is unsuccessful and the missile explodes in midair due to a fuel leak.

July 4th, 1937: France launches its first manned mission to space. The launch is successful and the pilot is retrieved off the coast of west africa.

July 7th, 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge Incident occurs when Japanese units cross into Chinese territory around Beijing.

July 9th, 1937: What would later become known as the Second Sino-Japanese war begins.

August 10th, 1937: First successful Soviet Union launch to space.

August 27th, 1937: USA launches its first successful mission into space.

October 16th, 1937: Using a rocket that was described as 'More fuel and engines then common sense' and 'One stray spark from demolishing the testing center.' Italy manages its first successful launch into space, and the first orbital flight. It is also the first rocket that is not a derivative of the A4 to be launched.

December 1937: A Contemporary historian begins to say 'The Space Race' is in full swing. The moniker ends up sticking, and nations still suffering from the Great Depression began to sluggishly pull themselves out of it through government contracts to Aerospace which trickles into the rest of the economy.

August 1938: The Great Depression officially comes to an end, as the slowest recovering nations of France and the United States finally achieve economic levels that approach their pre-crash levels. Fueling the improvement is continued and rapid growth of the Aerospace industry.

November 24th, 1938: The first successful test of an economically viable jet plane occurs in Germany. This is quickly followed by similar designs from competing nations.

September 1st, 1939: A joint Italo-German program results in the first long period orbiter. With a vessel designed for a two man crew to stay in orbit for thirty days.

September 7th, 1939: Polish-Czech joint venture launches its first full orbit spacecraft.

September 8th, 1939: Polish-Czech Spacecraft collides with Italo-German orbiter. Tensions climb, but are diffused by Mussolini who fears that a war between the four states would bring in France, the United Kingdom and Russia. Believing his own state was not ready to deal with these foes. The loss of the Orbiter is covered up and tensions over the Danzig corridor are used as a cover. Nations begin to co-operate to some extent on the location of their spacecraft to avoid similar incidents.

November 1st, 1939: A second Italo-German orbiter is launched. It completes its mission and returns to earth thirty days later.

November 13th, 1939: The Soviet Union first militarizes space. Launching an unmanned, radio controlled, orbiter armed with a 20mm aircraft cannon. Radio control unfortunately is lost two months into its operation but other states react in kind for a period.

November 17th, 1939: The Royal Navy manages to secure the British Rocketry Program under its purview. Stating that they had the most knowledge building and fighting with 'ships.' As well as providing a number of potential designs for future spacecraft. Other states soon follow suit and pass control of their space programs to their navies.

July 21st, 1941: The first unmanned moon launch is achieved by the United Kingdom. It beats a United States launch by three days, and a German launch by a week.

December 5th, 1941: Admiral Yamamoto manages to talk Japanese High Command out of launching an assault on Pearl Harbour and British, French and Dutch East Asia which was planned shortly thereafter. Japan remains at war with China but without the oil embargo it is not as pressing to expand.

August 1st, 1943: Second Sino-Japanese war comes to an end. Japan is unable to successfully annex the Chinese, but secures much of the Chinese coast under a puppet state. Japan quickly goes about trying to play catch-up in the space race.

August 2nd 1943: The Chinese Civil War renews between Communist and Nationalist forces. The Soviet Union does not send aid to the Communists as its budget is focused toward the space race, and neither side receives support from the Japanese.

June 7th, 1944: Nationalist China emerges as the victor in the Civil War.

February 1946: The Italian Aerospace program breaks into a separate entity from the German program once again.

September 10th, 1951: The first manned mission to the moon is achieved by the Italians. One rocketeer is lost due to a suit depressurization while on the moon. Shortly after every other state with a major space program reaches the moon.

October 27th, 1958: First moonbase established by the German Reich. Soon followed by other states as the moon quickly becomes a treasure trove of resources like iron and aluminum. This spurs on countries to expand their space program even further in the search for the 'Infinite resources of the stars'

July 2nd, 1963: First manned Mars landing occurs by Soviet rocketeers. The Soviets beat out other states by skipping sending unmanned missions to the planet.

March 29th, 1972: Martian colonization begins by a joint French-Polish-Czech venture, quickly followed by the Germans and Soviets. Terraforming and colonization of the red planet begin in earnest a few months later as poor, but skilled labour are given the opportunity by the major powers to be the first colonists to the new planet.

August 16th, 1974: Ruins are found upon Mars. These ruins predate human history, and contain large caches of an element that would later be called 'Element Zero.' Also found are instructions related to its use. Unfortunately before these ruins could be properly explored, a minor war broke out between the French and United Kingdom on one side, and the Germans and Italians on the either. This war is limited to Mars but causes intense devastation to the local area. During the fighting something hits a storage tank of this 'Element Zero' inside the ruins, and the resulting explosion leaves a significant crater while scattering the element across the planet. The war ends inconclusively, with minor amounts of territory changing into German and Italian hands.

October 1980: Colonization of Venus begins. Element Zero is found on Venus as well, but no ruins are located. The first biotic children begin displaying their talents on Mars. These abilities are quickly linked to Element Zero exposure. Through extensive testing by the Germans and Japanese proves that this exposure only affects humans born after the ruins explosion. Attempts to create botics in adult humans resulted in the death of the subject.

December 1986: The first Element Zero engine is produced by the United Kingdom following years of development. This engine is able to propel ships at much faster speeds than previous solid rocket engines were capable of. The engine is also capable of producing artificial gravity for a vessel and allows designs that are not based off a central rocket engine. Other nations finish their own EZ engines soon after.

February 1989: The first 'Space Shipyard' is completed by the Royal Navy. This massive orbital complex allows the production of larger, mass effect using, vessels without having to worry about getting them into space. Other nations quickly follow suit, and the first 'Warspaceship' the HMSS Endeavor (later HMS Endeavor) is put into service. The Endeavor, and almost all human vessels maintain an appearance much like their water based cousins, with multiple cannon turrets that would allow it to annihilate any armed satellite. While most states keep the 'Spaceship' title for a number of years following, soon wet water ships are phased out of most service and the title of 'Ship' is transferred to space going vessels.

September 1st, 1999: The first Element Zero Fast As Light Engine is developed by the United States. While EZ engines had been getting faster and faster for years, the EZFAL engine is a massive jump in technology, based off what information could be recovered from the ruins of the martian ruin. Despite this, the engine is still not truly fast enough to travel to other star systems, but makes travel within the solar system as easy as heading down the street.

February 5th, 2000: The EZFAL engine is spread by a Brazilian spy to the other countries.

March 11th, 2003: Exploration and surveying of Pluto reveals that it's orbiting body of Charon is not actually an ice moon. Further surveying accidentally activates an artifact that was similar in design to the martian ruins, and launches the French Exploration vessel out of the solar system where it lands in what would later be called New Provence. The system contains a habitable garden world, and is quickly claimed by the French. Negotiations over the device itself result in the artifact being considered 'public' and it soon turns out that it is able to launch ships to multiple star systems nearby. Some of these new star systems have more of the artifacts, and a colonization race begins to claim as much of the new territory as they could.

December 21st, 2031: Tensions begin to rise between France and Germany over the colonial system of Madesca. Both states explorers were in the system at approximately the same time, and both lay claim to it. Rising tensions begin to boil over into colonial skirmishing.

June 7th, 2032: France and Germany officially go to war, due to the increased militarization of space over earth, along with exhaustion of resources, the Earth is now much more symbolic than it is important. Most world governments have moved their capitals, military installations, populations and governing bodies to their primary colonial systems. This proves to be a smart move. Moments after a massive energy spike was detected, only two hours after the official declaration of war, the sun goes supernova. Earth and the solar system are promptly wiped out with no survivors. In the confusion the war is ended only five hours after it started. The only surviving structure in the system is the Charon Relay.

September 22nd, 2044: The Japanese puppet state of the Chinese Co-Prosperity Sphere, discover the system of Shanxi, and quickly colonize it. The system contains a larger mass relay then most, comparable to the Charon Relay, and the relay has multiple places it can travel to.

February 17th, 2065: An exploratory vessel enters the Shanxi relay to one of the uncharted destinations the relay could reach to.

March 7th, 2065: Contact lost with the exploratory vessel.

March 9th, 2065: Present day.

* * *

 **Shanxi**

The planet of Shanxi was, while not a unique find, quite a good one nonetheless. Green fields spread across its surface and on the dark side of the planet the lights of the several million colonists that lived there could be seen. In orbit floated a medium small space station. The space center's geosynchronous orbit placing it over the only real significant city on the planet. Alongside the station was dozens of small glowing lights, the engines of the Shanxi defense fleet that defended the world.

Normally the fleet would comprise of only a half dozen CCPSS corvettes and two Imperial Japanese destroyers. Just enough to beat off any pirates. Following the destruction of the exploration vessel Zhang He the defense fleet had swelled to include fourteen destroyers, three light cruisers, two heavy cruisers, and the battleship IJN Dewa.

It was on the bridge of the Dewa that Vice Admiral Tsuyoshi stood. The man observing the world spinning along even as around him his bridge crew worked to keep tabs on the rest of the fleet. Tsuyoshi was quite a young admiral compared to his peers. Bright red hair and a lanky youthful appearance that made him appear even younger than his 32 years.

He always was thrown off looking down upon worlds. Millions of people lived on the surface of Shanxi. Both Japanese and others. With a single command he could just as easily exterminate all of the ones below as save them from whatever horrors space had for them. Truly being an admiral came with frightful power. Which was why he was thankful that his fellow commanders were much like himself and carried themselves with the honour demanded of them by their position in the state.

Now if only Tsuyoshi could figure out what had destroyed the Zhang He, then he could rest easily instead of tapping his foot against the floor in mild annoyance. The Emperor had forbade him from sending more ships through the relay. Now he was forced to wait for whatever was there to come to him. The situation was incredibly vexing, but he would do his duty and garrison the planet. Fate was playing things fast though as it would seem he didn't have to wait to terribly much longer.

"Admiral! We are detecting signatures coming back through the relay." His scanners officer reported. The man glued to his console as multiple shapes began to appear as the Virtual Intelligence began to clarify the scanner resolution. "Half a dozen vessels, the largest of which seems to be a small heavy cruiser."

'Hmm, interesting. This should not be too much of a challenge.' Tsuyoshi thought to himself. "Send orders to the fleet to fall into the battle line and activate the EZFALs. We'll meet them as they drop out at the relay."

He moved to his seat as he felt the titanic engines at the back of the Dewa roar to full power. The vessel turned slowly until it's bow was pointed toward the relay and the other ships fell in around the nearly kilometer long battleship. Then the ship groaned as the EZFALs activated and launched them to the outer edge of the system where the relay floated in free space. The transition taking no more than two minutes, but the sensor officer declared, "Incoming signatures will be exiting the relay in thirty seconds."

"Battle line, I want the Azuma and Iwaki to our fore and the Kuzuryu's to our aft. They and the destroyers can let us absorb the enemy's shells. Prepare yourselves everyone, we have no idea what they will hit us with." Tsuyoshi ordered calmly, observing the map of the battlespace that was appearing before his command chair. Just as the sensor officer's VI had predicted the enemy contacts appeared the moment he counted to thirty.

The vessels were odd, to say the least. Near flat arrowhead like designs that were blocky and utilitarian. The strangest part was they lacked any visible turrets, and he had to guess the multiple parts that a rapid scan showed sticking out from the front were the ships only armament. Who used only spinal armaments? The difficulty keeping such weapons on target had relegated them to more or less support weapons, or for major fleet engagements. Still he wasn't going to complain, whatever country was attempting these new designs was going to have to face the reality of superior Japanese engineering. The alternative was that they were aliens, and what were the odds of that? "All guns fire at will."

A deep whirring filled the ship as the six great turrets that carried the Dewa's primary armament of 16" guns tracted toward the largest vessel and unleashed their broadside. The shells fired at incredible speeds thanks to the mass effect enhanced rails along the barrels. Joining them was fire from the Dewa's significant secondary battery. While VI's could help accurately target enemy vessels, the multi-layered shield systems of most modern warships, along with the tendency for maneuvering to cause multiple misses had resulted in most modern vessels going for 'quantity' as much as they could.

With the better part of thirty meters of height, seven hundred and ninety-two meters in length, and seventy two meters in width to work with, the Dewa had quite a significant amount of 'quantity.' Dozens of 6" and 5" guns added their weight to the primary battery, and the other vessel abreast of the Dewa vaporized under fire before they could bring their spinal weapons to bear. The Azuma and Iwaki heavy cruisers fared much the same, their opposites tumbling into space as drifting hulks after the initial barrage.

The Kuzuryus and the destroyers had a more difficult time of it though. The enemy evidently hadn't been expecting to meet resistance at the relay itself, and had dropped in with their shields down. The unknown vessels that had been facing off against the lighter IJN forces had time to activate their barriers before they could suffer the same fate. The smaller caliber weapons flashing against the shields in a rippling wave even as missed shells exploded around the enemy vessels. Even as more fire poured into them the enemy ships turned to bring their forward cannons on target, and Tsuyoshi frowned as he watched the incoming shells reach his fleet. Rapid maneuvering managed to avoid a few of the rounds, but he watched as one of the spinal weapons hit a destroyer. The shell ripped through its shield like it was barely there before coring the small vessel.

Still, the enemy was down to three vessels, including their light cruiser in the initial blow, and he had only lost a single destroyer. More than acceptable loses. Two more of the enemy ships and one more of his destroyers fell in short order as the barrage wore down their shields and the last blinked away as the relay fired it back where it had come. Almost certainly to inform its masters of the results of this battle.

"Order retrieval teams to search for any survivors from the destroyers, and send the marines to scour the enemy wreckage. Maybe a few of them are still alive for interrogation." Tsuyoshi declared, and turned on his heels. "I must report this to the admiralty, inform me if any other signatures come our way."

-WoE-

"It is highly unlikely this is the entirety of the enemy's invasion force." Tsuyoshi said to the collected images of the other admirals in the IJN. Dozens of admirals commanding everything from the Yamato Defense Fleet to border rear-admirals that had only a few vessels under their command.

"Indeed." Grand Admiral Yamamoto said with a nod. "Seventh fleet, I want you to begin transitioning to Shanxi. They seem reliant on the relay network, so if we can stop them there then we'll be able to protect the rest of the Empire. Tsuyoshi, pull your ships back to the spaceport if you have not already. The enemy will unlikely be caught the same way twice."

Tsuyoshi nodded, not mentioning that he already had. It would just be pointless grandstanding. He looked over to the image of Admiral Makoto of the Seventh Fleet, normally stationed over the hub world of New Seoul. She was one of the few female admirals in the fleet, or female anything in the IJN, having managed to claw her way there through an effort that put most anyone else in the fleet to shame.

Tsuyoshi couldn't help but grin, if he was going to get anyone to help him, he certainly couldn't complain about getting Makoto. Not just because the admiral was good at what she did, but because she also had a fleet that had quite a fair bit more firepower than his own.

"We'll be there in a few hours. Hold the line till then Tsuyoshi." Makoto said before she cut her feed, and a few moments later the other admirals projections winked out.

Stepping back into the bridge Tsuyoshi watched as the destroyers made their way back from the wreckage around the relay. Without even needing to ask for a report, one of his staff officers said with an oddly shaky voice. "We've retrieved 22% of the destroyers crews alive sir, but you need to see this."

Tsuyoshi frowned, his staff officers had seen battle before, admittedly against pirates, but still. What was it that could have the man spooked. Nodding to the officer to put it on the projector in front of him, he'd blink.

'This can't be right.' He thought to himself, moving his hands up to rub his eyes and make sure he hadn't suddenly gone incredibly near sighted. Unfortunately, it seemed like he hadn't suddenly suffered an immense amount of ocular trauma. Instead he found himself staring at the corpse of damned alien on his monitor!

Fate played its other hand for the day right then. Before he could question just what in the world they could figure out about it, or anything really, his comm officer reported something that made his blood freeze.

"Sir, we have almost sixty sensor contacts coming through the relay!"

* * *

Codex Entry: Comparison of Naval Forces over Shanxi/Capital Ship Specifications

Name: IJN Dewa

Class: Harima-Class Battleship

Length: 792 meters

Width: 72 meters

Height: 30 meters

Armaments: 12 16" Guns in 6 double barreled turrets (Approximate Impact Per Shell: 19 Kilotons)

32 6" Guns in single casemates running the length of the ship (Approximate Impact Per Shell: 1 Kiloton)

32 5" Guns in single turrets (Approximate Impact Per Shell: 0.44 Kilotons)

66 30mm Anti-Fighter/Point Defense Batteries

Armour (In relative Equivalent to Citadel Armour): Broadside: 22" Titanium Alloy Armour

Turret Face: 26" Titanium Alloy

Upper-Lower Face: 12" Titanium Alloy

Shields: Four Type 7 Shield Layers (Approximate Total Shield Strength 66 Kilotons)

The Harima class was the second largest of the IJN's battleships at the time of the First Contact War. Designed as their primary front line battleship, the vessel is heavily armed and armoured. Equal in general to counterparts from its competitor nations. The Harima's weakness compared to many of its competitors was it's weak shields, only using four shield layers instead of the usual for the time five of six. This saved space for extra secondary battery weapons and shells for the primary battery, this allowed for the Harima class vessels to do significant damage to Turian vessels once the latter were stripped of their shields, as they were able to cause damage over multiple sectors of a ship with a single volley.

Name: TSF Unbreakable

Class: Holdfast-Class Dreadnought

Length : 922 meters

Weidth: 90 meters

Height: 30 meters

Armaments: 6 5" Spinal Cannons (Approximate Impact Per Shell: 38 Kilotons)

12 3" Broadside Cannons (Approximate Impact per shell: 3.3 Kilotons)

4 AIGIS Anti-Missile Hard Points

Armour: 6" Ablative Plate

Shields: Holdfast Class Kinetic Barrier (Approximate Total Shield Strength 144 Kilotons)

The Holdfast Dreadnought was designed in 2041, the Holdfast is a mildly aging dreadnought. It was still a fearsome vessel. The Holdfast was not a match for newer Turian dreadnoughts at the time, and some other council races. In comparison to human vessels at the time of the First Contact War it was up with the strongest vessels of the human empires. While it's 'broadside' of 6 spinal cannons was not the strongest volley by tonnage compared to human vessels like the Yamato and the H-258, the shields it carried were stronger then the next two competitors put together.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, I know a bunch of people that follow me are like "What in the world is this, and why aren't you writing for In Spite of a Nail or Spokes of Life." Well the answer is that I hit a bit of a writers block again. The next chapter of ISoaN is about 5000 words written and I got to the point where I was like 'I need to write something that is a bit more serious.' This idea's been kicking around in my head for a while, and came back to the fore after reading some ME/Halo crossovers. To the ME community that's finding this story and have no idea who I am. I would like you to know this was written in a bubble so to speak. I don't really read the ME community outside of some Shep/Tali and Garrus stuff so if this already was written somewhere then I'm sorry for that.

Other then that, I hope you enjoy this regardless. I wrote this story out of a bit of an attempt to make ME's humanity more interesting. I found the in game humanity started interesting enough in ME1, though it was strange that all the nations seemed to have put down all sort of internal conflict and teamed up without an outside factor to make the systems alliance before running into other aliens. Meanwhile, ME2 and ME3 just kinda turned humanity into something of a mary sue on a national level. (Though ME3 did try to beat it back down a bit but IMO failed badly.) For example, the First Contact War, the Turians apparently were a bunch of buffoons that couldn't defeat a drastically technologically inferior (or should have been) power on a single planet, and didn't think to do _any_ form of recon to discover if there was other human planets. At least from how I interpreted the codex entries on it. My hope is to make things a bit more serious then ME's general space opera feel, but still keep the idea of being, well, a sci-fi 'show.' As well as as I said, make humanity (and hopefully everyone) more interesting on a national level as well as an individual one.

Also this is not going to be about the First Contact War only, it's going to expand into the normal ME timeline. I'm not quite sure if 'Shepard' as he existed in the game will be here, but there will definitely be a Normandy, and all the other characters from the game will be showing up then. As always for my stories, love it, hate it, see something you wanted to point out or think I got wrong? Leave a review! I feed on reviews, they motivate me to write faster :P

Also also, future chapters will have more words and less timeline bit to them. This one is mostly an introduction and backstory chapter.

Edit 4/2/2018: Minor cleanup of the chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hello again, I decided I couldn't quite wait to put this one out, so here's chapter 2 for all of you. Chapter 3 will probably come sometime next week, and if it's delayed past that it will be because I ended up getting caught up with writing ISoaN again (as writing chapter 1 and 2 of this has indeed gotten me past my writers block, so hopefully that will be out sometime next week too)

As it is, I'm grateful for the support already! 18 Followers on day one I'd say is a pretty solid day. Thank you to everyone who left a review. I'm glad you all enjoyed this (and that I'm not accidentally ripping anyone else off here.) And yes, I am a fan of Space Battleship Yamato, for those of you who don't know that series, and want a mental picture of ships like the Harima Class Battleships, then look up that series. Generally the biggest difference between ships in this setting and the ones in SBY is that here the ships are mirrored around the red part of the Yamato, and thus have a full gun deck on the bottom instead of just the upper deck (also no wave motion cannon.) Also I'm considering making inter-chapters that are just long Codex entries or a series of them, because honestly, I had to cut back the codex at the end of this chapter because it was getting way to big. (Comes with being an engineer and historian I think)

* * *

Admiral Makoto was not in a good mood. The woman was pacing her command bridge as the haze of faster than light travel breezed over all their sensors. The blindness of sensors during FTL was one of it's most concerning parts to the military commander, and she'd have been worried enough if that was all there was to fear out there.

Instead though, she had to prepare herself to battle aliens. Aliens. _Aliens._ No matter how she said it it still sounded impossible to her ears. Unfortunately, no matter how impossible every modicum of her reason insisted it was, that did nothing to change reality. The last message she received from Tsuyoshi she was going to be facing quite a large number of them.

" _Sixty enemy contacts coming through the relay. We will hold the line."_

That had been received by her flagship, the Harima, just before they entered into FTL for Shanxi. That had only been half an hour ago, and they were just minutes away from transition back into real space. They would have been here earlier, but each relay that connected to Shanxi dropped off at a different point. The relay they had transitioned through had been a bit out of the way, but put her closer to the planet and with adequate distance from the primary relay.

"Transition complete in two minutes ma'am." Said one of the many people aboard her bridge and she sighed. No more time for worrying. With her battleship, along with the two other Harima class ships Tamba and Aki leading the transitioning fleet, and her carriers Tate and Minami at the rear it was a rather classical formation by space combat standards.

Mentally she began to count down as she went over everything she knew. They needed to avoid the front of the enemy vessels as much as they could. The alien vessels used entirely bow armaments and those weapons packed enough punch to take down a destroyer in one hit despite its compartmentalization.

Standard practice would be to engage the enemy at long range to give more maneuvering time, but as it was according to Tsuyoshi's report the alien's cannons had much better velocity than their own. So instead they'd need to try to close the distance faster than the enemy could track them if they wanted to get into effective range.

 _Three, two, one_

With an audible snap they came out of FTL and Makoto was already scanning the battlemap ahead of her as the scanners lit up the battlefield. The sight made her scowl. Ahead of her Tsuyoshi's flagship, along with one of his heavy cruisers, a light cruiser, and three destroyers were still engaging the enemy force. The wreckage of the rest of the Vice Admiral's fleet was drifting alongside the corpse of Shanxi's space station. They hadn't gone down without a fight though, and four enemy vessels drifted languidly through space while another two burned as they leaked atmosphere.

Unfortunately that still left more than fifty enemy vessels, including one that dwarfed even the Harima class battleship, engaging the flagging remains of the twelfth fleet. Even worse, the battlemap showed multiple ships dropping out at the relay as well.

Immediately her hand went for the comms and she broadcasted. "Tsuyoshi, withdraw toward our positions. You have enemy reinforcements on the way. We will cover you till you link up."

The holographic projection that came back flickered in and out, and it was rather obvious the Dewa must have suffered heavy damage by this point to cause it. Despite that he was doing his best to keep a calm tone. "Of course Admiral. We'll change course now. Watch the large one, it's cannons hit hard."

Makoto nodded to the projection and sent orders for the rest of the fleet to form into battle formation and a moment later gave the order to fire. While Tsuyoshi's fleet had been able to put out an impressive number of rounds, the vessels of Makoto's seventh fleet put that to shame. The volley of tonnage they sent down range was enough to ensure hits even at this distance, and the alien fleet turned its guns from Tsuyoshi's limping vessels and toward the new arrivals.

The first shells impacted against the seventh fleet's shields shortly after that. Makoto gripping onto a nearby railing as the Harima shook from an impact against its shields. The seventh fleet's own shells hit shortly thereafter. The broadside from the Aki, moving at 40,000 meters per second, digging into an enemy cruiser's shields. The barriers collapsed and a single round punched through the light armour of the enemy vessel, setting off the warhead's fuze. Two unlucky aliens happened to be in the direct path of the shell and promptly ceased to exist, before unknown to the gunners on the Aki, the round punched into the enemy's drive core just as the fuse counted down to zero.

The Aki's gunners cheered as they saw the cruiser go up in a bright blue explosion and turned their guns to the next target.

Meanwhile, on the alien battleship lined its own guns up with the Tamba, and the half dozen bow mounted weapons launched through space at one point three percent the speed of light. Crossing the distance in effectively an instant. The shells slamming into the Tamba's shields, and all four layers collapsed near instantly while only stopping two of the enemy shells. The Tamba's armour dented as a third shell failed to penetrate, and the fourth and fifth rounds punched clean holes in the hull. Unlike with the IJN vessels though, the alien rounds were pure tungsten, and passed through the ship with minimal damage as blast doors shut and internal shield generators stopped the vessel from decompressing. A moment later the Tamba's shields were back online, saving it from a follow up barrage by an enemy cruiser.

Even as the fleets began trading fire, the two carriers released their own weapons. Dozens of small combat craft taking off from their bays and winging around the fleets. Flying around the veritable wall of tungsten and explosives the craft activated internal mass effect engines and took off in an instant. Crossing the void at nearly the same speed as the seventh fleet's shells. Small guns on the enemy vessels meant for shooting down missiles came to life to try to swat the small craft from the sky. Even with the ability to start and stop on a dime, the bombers suffered heavily trying to pass through the point defense screen, and for every five only one would manage to launch its payload of a single 'torpedo.' The human natives had long since decided that long range missile bombardment was a lost cause in space, and had resorted to trying to get said missiles as close as possible before firing. With minimal guidance, and a significant amount of armour as well as explosives, torpedoes mounted on the small combat craft had become the delivery method of choice.

Many of those torpedoes detonated against enemy shields, but others would slip through, breaking through multiple decks before grinding to a halt. The aliens that saw such torpedos only getting a moment to pray to their makers before they'd detonate, and either take the ship, or a significant part of it, with it.

By the time the bombers, now numbering only maybe 35% of their initial number, escaped the enemy's point defense range and returned to their carriers. The alien fleet had lost another dozen ships. The twelfth fleet was down an equal number of destroyers, five light cruisers, and two heavy cruisers. The Tamba had taken another two penetrating hits but was still in operational shape, and the Aki had to resort to using its secondary bridge after the primary one was knocked out.

Still, it was enough time for Tsuyoshi's ships to reach the fleet, and Makoto opened her comms again to say. "All ships, enter FTL, we're withdrawing to the second planet in the system." She could only hope the aliens didn't decide to pursue them. They seemed quite intent at Shanxi, and had blocked off the relay so the Twelfth/Seventh Fleet couldn't escape the system, but they could certainly keep away until further reinforcements could arrive.

-WoE-

Primarch Opso Bromraka was torn between a smile and a frown at the alien's retreat. A smile that he had sent what seemed to be the primary force of the aliens running, and a frown at the casualties he had suffered. Along with the knowledge that evidently this species had colonies out there that would need to be subjugated. Unfortunate, but nothing his fleet couldn't handle, especially now that his patrol groups were flooding back to replace his losses.

The turian had been surprised when one of his scout fleets had reported the activation of the 314 relay, and he had congratulated them for their quick thinking in coming to him first instead of the council. All he had to do now was defeat these aliens and subjugate them into the Hierarchy and he'd be a hero for the rest of his life back on Palaven.

He had been surprised as well when that same scout fleet had been annihilated in minutes by these aliens when they had come out of the relay. He had been hoping they would make a beachhead for his primary fleet and he'd be able to drive straight to the aliens homeworld and send in his marines. Instead he found himself in a forgone naval action. The alien fleet had fought valiantly he would admit, but even with the reinforcements they knew they couldn't face his fleet.

Maybe they'd make good warriors to join the Hierarchy's ranks after they had been integrated. The volus had their uses, but war was not one of them. Turning his attention back to the now undefended planet he'd pull up the scans of the surface they had taken. The largest city of possibly two billion people on the planet was nestled into a mountain range. It was a sound decision by whatever ancient designers had decided on the location. Ground assault against it would be difficult to say the least. He had the ability to deploy troops by the air though, and even as he watched he could see the hundreds of shuttles from the newly arriving boarding carriers winging their way down to the surface.

Unfortunately for Admiral Bromraka, the surprises just weren't going to stop today.

-WoE-

 **Shanxi Surface**

Even as raid sirens range throughout the streets of New Yuncheng, a great grinding noise drowned out nearly everything as three of the nearby mountains seemed to move. It wasn't actually true. The mountains weren't moving. The tips of the mountains though were shifting, ice and snow breaking off as great openings were opened in their surface. Before the grinding stopped, only for three booms that shattered glass throughout the city to blast through the valley. Great beams of 'light' arced into the sky toward the orbiting aliens, and the sky went red for a moment as one of them exploded.

-WoE-

"What in the spirits was that!" Bromraka shouted as the cruiser Imperii exploded and two other shells impacted amongst his fleet.

"Sir, the enemy appears to have large anti-orbital cannons built into the mountains here, here and here." His command VI said, lighting up the locations of the shells that even now were flying toward his fleet once again. Forewarned the vessels were able to dodge the immense projectiles and watched them explode harmlessly a few thousand kilometers past.

Bromraka was concerned that a species would go this far in the name of planetary defense. The volus hadn't had any weapons on their homeworld when the Turians had arrived, these aliens must have been incredibly paranoid.

"Begin returning fire on those installations, I want them out of action before the shuttles can land." Bromraka ordered calmly, having schooled himself back into stoicism. Watching as his fleet followed his orders and shells burned through the atmosphere. The shots impacted against what must have been a truly massive shield generator, or a collection of smaller ones, and it took another wave of bombardment to bring down one of the planetary defense center's shields. Shells burying their way through the mountain rock like it wasn't even there shortly thereafter until the gun went silent.

The process was repeated again for the other two installations, and Bromraka silenced them without another casualty on his side. The destroyer Centra was going to be in dire need of repairs though.

-WoE-

The evacuation sirens still rang across the streets of New Yuncheng long after the civilians had evacuated to great underground bunkers or scattered to the wilds outside the city. The only people still above ground in the capital was the IJA and CCPSA garrison. Holding in preplanned strong points all throughout the city they waited, remembering their training. That training had been against an invasion by another human power, not aliens, but it was all they had.

As the alien shuttles came in through the atmosphere, they'd be met with anti air fire from flak and cannon batteries throughout the city. The venerable flak shell had survived the introduction of mass effect technology more or less intact, only with stronger explosive filler and shell materials changing. The heavy shells fired out into the stratosphere and detonated among the falling shuttles. Small shards of metal impacting against shields and sometimes slipping past to bury themselves in the hulls of the landers themselves. Against other humans the rounds would have been devastating. Against the aliens, with their advanced kinetic barriers, it was only marginally more effective than throwing stones. For the hundreds, or maybe thousands of shuttles that were coming their way, only a small handful dropped from the sky in flames.

The automatic cannon fire that started to cut through the air as the aliens came closer to the surface would be marginally more effective, but it still was nowhere near enough. Missiles and mass driver rounds flared out of the shuttles and tore apart anti-air batteries. Explosions blossomed through the city as the aliens made landing zones for their troops.

Private Ren Kobayashi watched from the building he was holding up in as the battery in the nearby park was blown to pieces. Clutching his Type 48 rifle the private couldn't believe that this was happening. Aliens, aliens were invading Shanxi! He wasn't from this blasted planet! He was from New Okinawa! As Shanxi was a Chinese Co-Prosperity Sphere world it was effectively a Japanese planet, and the primary combat garrison was drawn from other Japanese world's. The CCPS garrison only trusted with basic policing duties. In this case though the man beside him at the window was a chinese. The policeman holding a near ancient Type 22 rifle.

He had spent years in training, and wargames. Pirate raids and border skirmishing. Never though had he ever seen an invasion like this. He had never even thought that he'd be involved in an invasion like this. He prayed to the emperor and any god that listened that he'd make it home alive. That he wouldn't die to an unknown enemy.

The alien shuttles were landing now, and Ren peaked up over the slit of the window. Watching armoured aliens file out of the landers. His grip on his rifle got tighter.

"Stand and fire!" Came the shouted order from his officer over the comms. Ren lifted the Type 48 to his shoulder and felt it kick against him as it barked. The 7.72mm rounds, propelled first by gunpowder, before being picked up by mass effect enhanced rails and propelled even faster, soared through the air. The armoured figures shimmered, revealing personal shield generators. Ren felt a moment of fear at that, personal shield generators were well beyond any human nation's capacity to develop in large enough numbers to equip assault troops with them. Some special forces might see them but even that was rare. Even armour was beyond most human soldiers, with troops wearing little more than a uniform and a helmet. The weight of dozens of rifles doing their work bringing down the shields and the aliens behind them. The first aliens to step off the shuttles collapsing into heaps until another door opened on the shuttle to reveal what could only be the alien equivalent of a heavy machinegun.

The weapon chattered with a rate of fire that put even the Germans machine guns to shame and the buildings around the landing site were peppered with a hail of bullets. Ren throwing himself away from the window and watching as the CCPS police man fell as rounds punched through the walls of the building and the soldier. Ren scampering to the stairwell to retreat down to the ground floor as the walls half felt like they were exploding. Bullets hitting all around him as he found his journey accompanied by others.

The lieutenant in charge of his platoon was there with them, ordering them to fall back toward second line defenses before a rocket of some kind flew in through the window and reduced the man to a red mist. The rest of the platoon spurred to follow his last order even more. Once they were clear of the building they saw a sight that rallied their flagged spirit, a squadron of Chi-Ri 53s rolling down the street toward the shuttles. The enemy's machine guns sparking harmlessly off their armour as the tanks cannons roared their counter. One of the shuttles exploded a few feet off the air and crashed back to earth as the cannon hit it and the machine guns mounted on the roof of the Chi-Ri's fired into the milling alien infantry.

Behind the tanks came another company, and Ren and his platoon found themselves pulled into the larger force and turned back toward the aliens. Falling in behind the advancing tanks they fired their rifles on the move in an attempt to keep the offloaded aliens suppressed. Unfortunately they weren't the only ones getting reinforcements, as aliens began pouring in from a street on the far side of the quad. Including a single seemingly light looking armoured vehicle with a long barreled cannon on its back.

The Chi-Ri turned their attention onto the enemy tank, but their turrets turned too slowly, and the enemy vehicle fired. A small, bullet sized shell shot forward and impacted the lead Chi-Ri. The round going in the front and out the back with enough force to trail a cloud of blood behind it as the crew were pulled out through the exit hole. The other two IJA tank's cannon's barked. The enemy tank weathered both hits, and fired back again, taking out a second Chi-Ri. The third shell from the Japanese tanks finally took the enemy vehicle down. The 105mm round punching through its shields and blowing off the front off the alien tank.

Unfortunately in the chaos caused by the alien tanks arrival, the alien infantry had managed to rally. A moment later a trio of rockets slammed into the remaining Chi-Ri and blew it to pieces. The infantry behind the three tanks, having stood stunned as their behemoths were taken out in less than a minute, dove into cover among the wreckage.

Ren watched as one enterprising man though lept on one of the gutted tanks, and jumped inside it. The aliens didn't hit the vehicle as it didn't start firing again. A decision they'd regret later.

For now the aliens had the upper hand, and were beginning to advanced toward the pinned down IJA troops. Return fire from the humans was sporadic at best as any that popped their heads up were mowed down in a hail of fire. They took their advance slowly, carefully. There was no need to risk more casualties now.

Unfortunately that was when the man who had gotten into the Chi-Ri kicked open the back hatch. The major who had been hiding behind the vehicle nearly going to reprimand the private when the man mentioned the tank's engine and shield generator were still operating.

The major caught on quickly, and shouted to the surrounding men to form up behind the tank once more as the private ducked back inside. Most human tanks these days had what was known as a 'bunker' mode. Generally designed for when the tank was on the defensive. Instead of an all around, but rather light shield, in bunker mode it was directed entirely in a forward, semicircular 'wall.'

IJA tactics dictated that this mode had an offensive use as well. Even as infantry scrambled behind the vehicle. Even as the aliens almost letting them do it as it'd make them easier to take out once they had surrounded them. Even as shells were falling everywhere. Even as the Chi-Ri kicked into forward gear, and the bunker shield flickered to life. The major stood up, raising his ceremonial katana and shouted to the surrounding men. "Banzai!"

Now, just because it was in the offensive playbook, didn't mean a tactic was always a good one. If Ren was to be honest to himself though, at least it was something. They couldn't retreat under the enemy fire. They couldn't stand and fight. At least this way they would perish with honour demanded of their station as defenders of the Empire.

What he hadn't expected was that the aliens would be utterly caught off guard by this tactic. It wasn't much, but it bought them a few seconds to rush forward. Bayonets unfolding from their Type 48s as they cleared a few meters before the return fire began again. Ren felt himself covered in warmth as the man beside him tumbled to the ground without a head. Rounds sparked off the Chi-Ri's shield, but many shots still came in around it. Solders crumpled on the ground between their old positions and the alien's.

Then the charge struck home, and the aliens, barely three dozen in number, found themselves on the receiving end of the better part of a hundred and fifty bayonets. The kinetic shields the aliens had didn't seem to do a good job protecting them from the melee attacks. The armour they were wearing on the other hand, did. Still, bayonets slipped in among cracks. Where they could find no purchase the soldiers resorted to clubbing the aliens with their rifles to buy time for their comrades to find a weakpoint. Ren himself took down one of the creatures by slipping his bayonet in between the helmet and the torso, almost taking the creature's head off.

Then it was over, and the quad fell silent except for the rumbling of the Chi-Ri's engine. Around them the sounds of distant battle rang through the city, and the major gathered the survivors to begin heading toward the next battle.

* * *

Codex Entry: A comparison of Infantry Weapons on Shanxi

During the ground combat of the Shanxi war, the vast gulf between Human and Turian technology was proven much more conclusively than in the conflicts over the planet. Though surprisingly it was not considered such at the time. Both sides soldiers had a 'the grass is greener' on the other side mentality to their opponents equipment.

The average soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army was equipped much like his modern counterpart. Personal shields and body armour were considered an unnecessary and extremely expensive luxury for human troops. A mentality that has carried on beyond the war by all human powers. As such the average foot soldier was equipped with his uniform, ammunition, grenades, and either a Type 48, 39, or 22 rifle. These rifles were similar in operation, and unlike turian weapons did not rely on a mass effect field for the entirety of the firing process of a round. Instead human weapons used and still use a chemical powder base. This projects the round into a mass effect enhanced rail system which launches the round at extremely rapid speeds, though slower than Council weapons. This use of a two stage launch allowed the rifles to use much smaller mass effect power sources, and the slower projectile speed makes them less prone to overheating.

The Type series rifles, along with similar weapons from most human nations, use what is considered a 'full powered rifle cartridge.' These rounds are generally 7.92mm, 7.76mm, or similar in diameter (notable exceptions exist for the Italian 6.5mm cartridge and the Swedish 6.5mm.) In comparison to the 8/10mm of citadel weapons, these cartridges caused grievous injury when they managed to penetrate shields. Turian soldiers found their body armour was quite useless in the face of these more powerful rounds, but their slower projectile velocity made the weapons ineffective against mass effect shields. Humans stating they needed an entire magazine (generally twenty rounds) to take down a single Turian. In reality, ten to thirteen hits would be enough to take down a turian soldier according to tests conducted after the war. The majority of these rounds were wasted against the shield, with usually only one or two needed to kill after the shield was broken.

In comparison, the turian Vanguard rifle actually took a relatively similar number of rounds to kill a human. Though they could be as low as one shot to do it, or as many as twenty. The small rounds of the Vanguard, and most citadel weapons, were well known at the time to be poor killing weapons but the versatility of their immense ammo reserves and high fire rates compensated. Against the average unarmoured human, a turian was capable of inflicting 6 to 1 casualties at times in combat as the lack of shielding or armour on human soldiers left them vulnerable to the relative 'storm' of rounds the Vanguard could put out. Turian forces also did not need to worry about ammunition, and in protracted firefights would usually come out on top as human forces ran out of rounds and could be overrun.

In both cases, sides would 'swap' weapons with corpses, though it was much more prone for IJA and other human soldiers to take turian weapons then the other way around. Turian soldiers found the human rifles to be frighteningly effective against human forces, but would regularly forget they had limited ammunition with weapons. Human soldiers adored the Vanguard's long lasting abilities, but were confused at the overheat issues, and frustrated at the weapons seeming lack of killing potential when it had been used so effectively against them. With the Vanguard actually requiring more rounds to take down a turian soldier then their rifles did as turian infantry armour proved effective against the citadel rounds.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Well, decided not to hold this one back any longer. ISoaN is coming along well for those that are curious, hoping to have it out by the end of the week. Thanks to Kejmur, Clones, and Alucard for their reviews since last chapter was posted, and everyone that's followed or favourited this story so far.. I'll consider making up a map once I can get a program for it that's better then just using GIMP to make a map, and yes, the National Socialists are still incharge of the German Reich. They have tonned down since the 30s and 40s but there aren't to many people moving to Space!Germany and tensions are still high. The Italians are still a technical one party constitutional monarchy under the National Fascist Party and Japan is still run by Showa era esq statists. General rule of thumb going forward is whatever government system the nation was under before WW2, it's still under now. (Some exceptions exist but I'll get to those later)

 **A/N2:** The codex entry this time ran away from me a bit, sorry about that.

As always, like, hate, see something you thought interesting or could use some work? Leave a review! I feast on your reviews!

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own mass effect, though my friend is getting me a copy of andromeda so that'll be fun.

* * *

 **Imperial Japanese Homeworld Yamato.**

"You are telling me that you cannot defeat these aliens yourself, Grand Admiral?" Prime Minister, formerly General, Kenji Fujioka half growled at the man standing across from him.

Grand Admiral Yamamoto stood firm, his bearded face drawn into a look of pure professionalism. "We could Prime Minister. I believe if we were to rally all of our fleets and make a concentrated counterattack. Then we could defeat these invaders. The problem is that we would leave all our systems vulnerable. Not to mention the damage our fleet would suffer in the process."

And that was what had Fujioka in a bind. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. He could demand the grand admiral take on this threat himself. Then he would have it on his head if the Empire was left weak and invaded after. The alternative was that he could go to the rarely used League of Nations. Bring up this invasion there. He would be admitting weakness on the public stage. He would almost certainly be removed from his position shortly thereafter, but they might be able to get some of the other nations to sacrifice their own vessels in place of Japan's own.

He bit his lip. Turning back to the wall he'd watch the scenes playing across it. The orbital defense batteries on Shanxi firing into the sky. Admiral Tsuyoshi's Dewa weathering fire from the alien battleship. Japanese soldiers charging behind a Chi-Ri as other tanks burned around them. He made a mental note to reward the major incharge of that action should he survive the war. The captured image from a nearby security camera would be worth more in propaganda then a thousand recruiters.

Then he looked to other images. Those same anti-orbital batteries spewing smoke from their firing slits, looking like fuming volcanoes. The wreckage of Shanxi station as the hulks of destroyed spacecraft drifted along. A line of Chi-Ri's wrecked on the side of a boulevard. Could he really allow this to be handled by Japan alone? For all they knew they'd destroy this fleet and there would be a hundred more behind it. Finally he turned back, not looking at Yamamoto, but at the man beside him. Short, balding, Ambassador Jurou Nakashima seemed to know what he was going to say before he opened his mouth.

"I will bring it up to the League today Prime Minister." The man bowed, and after Fujioka nodded the hologram winked out.

Turning to Yamamoto he added. "Any reserve fleets we have, anything away from the main pirate activity, send it."

"Of course Prime Minister. I already have the third, tenth and eleventh fleets moving to Yamato to link up with my own." Yamamoto said with a nod. "The third is arriving now. I will take my leave."

With that Yamamoto's hologram winked out as well, and Fujioka sighed. Turning to look at the images once again, even as new ones flooded in. Suppressed from the public of course, until they could sort them out at least.

-WoE-

 **League of Nations Headquarters, Orbital Station around Sol Relay**

 **March 11th, 2065**

Nakashima held himself to the attention that had been drilled into him for years as he stood before the other ambassadors of the League. His suit was perfectly fitted and completely unwrinkled. What hair he had was combed into an unassuming, business like short cut. His face was unblemished. The only thing that stood out about him was his mild rotundness. "Members of the League of Nations. I bring before you a matter of grave import not seen before in our lives."

The rest of the room was silent. Dozens of pairs of eyes, the surviving states from the destruction of Sol, staring at him unwaveringly. "As of march ninth, the Empire of Japan has been in a state of war with an alien power." The man turned on the projector, showing a clip of the aliens dropping out of relay and engaging admiral Tsuyoshi's fleet. "These aliens previously destroyed the exploration vessel Zhang He, which had been charting the exits of the Shanxi Relay."

"Initially, we believed this situation could be handled internally." The images continued, showing the defeat of the initial alien force. Then they changed to the arrival of the second alien fleet. "Unfortunately, the aliens have proven to have technology greatly in advance of our own. While the IJN has been fighting valiantly to keep them contained within Shanxi, we believe a break out is inevitable."

The image changed again, showing the systems that were within easy reach of Shanxi. Highlighting the Commonwealth system of Victoria, the French system of New Bône, and the US system of Rico. "If Shanxi were to fall, we believe that ontop of moving deeper into the Japanese Empire, the aliens would strike out at any nearby human system. As they have shown no attempt at negotiation yet, we can only assume they intend on the complete destruction or subjugation of humanity."

That brought out a series of mutterings and general noise from the collected ambassadors. Though they were quickly silenced as he continued. "The Empire of Japan proposes the creation of a joint force of all nations to deal with this alien threat. We also propose the creation of a joint defense treaty in the case we have a repeat of this incident."

The mutterings grew into conversation and shouting. Nothing different for the League. Regardless, Nakashima had said his piece, and began to join in the tide of debate that would follow. He could only hope they hashed something out in time.

-WoE-

 **New Yuncheng**

 **March 13th, 2065**

Private Kobayashi ducked into his trench as the aliens rounds whizzed overhead.

Armoured searchlights, along with the street lamps, lit up the dark street before him. Beside him a Type 133 machinegun barked out its staccato. It was a loud and brutal weapon that hammered into the night. Its volley was joined in by shots from all across the street wide trench.

His unit had withdrawn to the New Yuncheng spaceport, holed up on its groundside. They had no hope of breaking out. Their only hope was to buy time there against the alien invaders. Behind them, more units were evacuating into Ki Planetary Defense Center. The great mountain's main cannon may have been knocked out, but the miles of defensive lines and fortifications had no plans of buckling soon. Not to mention the artillery batteries that were positioned in them. Each scaly alien that tried to breach their lines would crumble, broken by bullets and shells, or turn back exhausted and dishonoured.

Elements of the IJA still held numerous sectors over the city. Generally the strongpoints were near or outside of evacuations bunkers. Many other units had been forced out of the city or destroyed entirely. Scraphouses had been broken open, and nearly two hundred Ha-Gos, each a century old, had been pressed into service. What they were doing out here, nobody really could guess, but the Sino-Japanese war era vehicles were still in mostly functioning shape. The guns were good enough to kill enemy infantry. Useful enough, the defenders hoped.

One of the antique vehicles rolled up to the barricade and fired at the encroaching aliens. The cannon taking out two of the aliens before withdrawing. The alien rocket launchers were deadly accurate, and had claimed much of the IJA's Chi-Ri's already.

Popping back up over the lip of the trench as the enemy fire shifted focus, Ren unloaded his clip into the invaders. Unfortunately the alien infantry was getting closer and closer. The alien's armour was easy enough to penetrate, but their shields could handle a terrifying amount of fire before they went down. A fact they were using to jump from cover to cover, letting their shields regenerate in between. Frustrating. It was impossible to deal with - if Ren didn't empty almost a whole magazine into the armoured attackers before they reached cover, they simply wouldn't feel a thing. As the enemy wised up, more and more slipped by, and ever closer to their lines as a result. This sort of protection was so far beyond their own - how were they meant to pierce this?

Down the trench he heard the Major shouting into the long range comms. "Enemy within fifty meters of our position. Requesting artillery support."

Ren didn't hear the reply. The Major was too far away, and the sound of bullets rang too loudly in his ears. Swapping out his magazine he stood up and fired again, managing to take out one of the aliens that had already been weakened by the machinegun. Then he heard the distinct rumble of artillery in the distance. The street in front of him exploding moments later. Even if the alien shields were strong, the concussive wave of the artillery shells passed through them like they weren't there. Aliens were tossed into the air, then fell back down like sacks.

The barrage ceased. The surviving aliens withdrew back down the street, taking shots as they fell back. Despite halting their advance, the artillery barrage did nothing to shake up their combat instincts. Ren tried to mow down some as they retreated, but that retreating fire drove him back into cover - bitter though it was, it was also disciplined of them. Something he begrudgingly respected.

Silence reigned over the battlefield when the aliens retreated out of sight. Ren and the other soldiers taking the chance to prepare themselves for the next wave, and the ones after that, until they would finally get to withdraw themselves.

-WoE-

Junior Serviceman Deius Horados growled to himself. These aliens, temporarily classified as 314ers, just didn't give up. They had been fighting through the streets for three days now. Inflicting hideous casualties on these aliens, but still they kept fighting. Spirits, he had passed five destroyed tanks and what had to be a hundred dead on his way here. Yet what he estimated as a dozen more still held the building in front of him and his platoon.

The utter insanity was that if the rumours were to be believed, the Admiral estimated that some 10% of this alien race was serving in their military. That was on par with the turians active solder to population ratio, but they had the excuse of being the galaxy's army. Their economy assisted by the rest of the Citadel and the Volus to sustain that large of a force.

A shell ripped out from the building and hit the soldier beside him, reducing the man to paste and forcing Deius into cover.

That was the other insanity of these aliens. Of all the things, they still used direct fire _man packed_ artillery guns. These savages were using things that had been phased out of turian service centuries ago, and they were _working_. The thing that was giving the platoon so much difficulty was a small caliber cannon that was parked in the ground floor of the building. It wouldn't have been bad if they weren't out of rockets.

Anyone that tried to approach to lob a grenade in received the building's worth of gunfire on them. If they were really unlucky, the cannon fired and blew them to pieces. Still, they were slowly making progress. The number of shooters in the building dwindling with each exchange. What they were really waiting for was rolling around the corner though. The Hepestis class main battle tank. It was larger than the light tanks that had given the alien tanks so much trouble. Instead of a single railgun, the Hepestis carried a railgun, and two pods of missiles.

The alien's gun bounced off the Hepestis' shields, once, twice. Then the tank fired, two missiles blazing forward and detonating the building. Before starting to roll forward to support the infantry advance.

Unfortunately, these aliens were just full of surprises. While the building before them remained silent, the platoon heard grinding and clanking. It didn't sound like a tank, and seemed to be coming from all around them.

Then another building exploded outwards, showering men with bricks and metal. Before the dust could settle heavy autocannon rounds barked out from the cloud. Deius diving into cover even as one of the rounds knocked out his shield but didn't get further. Even as they started to be able to see the large turianoid form that was in the dust, two more of the things came out from the side streets. Large autocannons in their hands. One of them pointed the gun at the back of the Hepestis. With a soft 'thwup', the larger barrel under the autocannon fired out a projectile. It must have been sort of HEAT shell, as it hit the back of one of the Hepestis' armoured missile pods and burned through. The tank going up in smoke and fire knocking a few other turians off their feet.

Returning fire on the metal walkers, Deius and his platoon withdrew into the buildings behind them. The walkers extracting heavy casualties before two Vestus light tanks made it to the street. The tanks roof mounted railguns making short work of one of the walkers and driving the other two off.

Deius really hoped the aliens didn't have any more surprises. He didn't know if he'd survive them.

-WoE-

 **TSF Unbreakable, In Orbit over Shanxi**

Bromraka was not pleased, to say the least. These aliens were putting up much more of a fight then he had expected. Even now, they were still battling throughout their capital city. Their fleet continued to hide away behind one of the inner planets, and one of those anti-orbital guns kept coming back online no matter how hard they shot it. It had only managed to damage one of his cruisers, but it was only a matter of time till it killed something.

These aliens were utterly insane. That was the only conclusion Bromraka could come to. They had to know he could blow them apart from orbit. Well, they should know. Or perhaps they were stupid too? Or too stubborn. Citadel laws kept him from actually doing so, but the enemy couldn't have known this. They should be surrendering by now. Rolling over like the volus had.

Instead he had to give them some credit. They fought like cornered rats. He pulled up images from his soldiers suit cams. Images of outgunned aliens throwing themselves at his men's guns, beating them down with their rifles and bayonets. It was savagery the likes of the krogan. Bromraka couldn't help but crack a small grin at that thought. At the very least, these aliens went down much easier than krogan. For every one of their charges that succeeded, two more were beat back or annihilated. What was much more terrifying was what they did instead of surrender.

Flicking the screen, he brought up a video of a wounded alien. His soldiers approaching it to get the creature to surrender. Only for the alien to pull out a grenade when they got close. The feed cut off with a last image of an explosion.

It was something he could have handled if he had the Hierarchy backing him up. Unfortunately, he had limited resources. If he had to take a guess from what his troops had encountered, he figured these aliens had at least one hundred thousand men under arms, maybe as many as three hundred thousand. He had little more than fifty thousand soldiers, and that was pulling all the garrisons out of the worlds under his control. That fifty thousand was dropping, not worryingly, but steadily.

Even worse, the positions the aliens now held seemed to be dedicated fortifications. Large numbers of enemy soldiers were holding out in the orbital defense installations. Others in underground fortress bunkers inside the city. He could only guess the latter were guarding evacuation shelters. He lacked the heavy equipment to deal with these on the ground, and had ordered his troops to isolate the pockets and lay seige. It was all he could do at the moment.

He was coming to the quite damning conclusion that he may need to seek assistance in this matter. Yet, it was something he _couldn't_ do. If he came back without a victory he would likely be exiled for starting a war. He had banked everything on this, and he needed to win. He needed something _anything_ to turn this into a quick victory.

Looking out the viewing screens of his quarters, he saw the floating debris from the alien fleet. An idea formed. An idea that could just as easily get him tried for war crimes as anything else. He chewed on it for a few minutes, before dismissing it for now. If these aliens didn't surrender within two weeks, then he'd consider resorting to that.

* * *

 **Codex Entry: Differences in Shell Philosophy at the time of the Shanxi War/A Study on the Effectiveness of Explosives vs Shields.**

A continuation of the previous Codex Entry viewed by [USER] on the comparison of infantry weapons on Shanxi. As already shown, the increased caliber of human weapons proved to be ineffective against shields, but extremely effective against the armour underneath in comparison to Turian Vanguard rifles. For larger caliber weapons the difference remained similar. The human Chi-Ri 53. The standard IJA medium tank, equipped with a 93mm long barreled cannon and equipped with what could be considered a 'light' vehicle shield generator by citadel forces. The Chi-Ri compared unfavourably to the Turian Veletis infantry fighting vehicle and Hepestis Main Battle Tanks. The Veletis, and the Hepestis being equipped with a 37mm mass driver cannon that fired with enough speed to very literally, and very fatally, pull the crews out behind it as it passed through IJA vehicles.

The problem the Turians came to find on Shanxi was that their rounds would pass through IJA tanks and fail to damage the vehicles much at all. Leaving crewless hulls that would be put back into operation by other IJA forces in the area. Meanwhile the Chi-Ri's own 105mm cannons tended to reduce the lightly armoured, but heavily shielded Turian vehicles into twisted wreckage once they had worn down the Turian's shields. This was thanks to the large amount of explosive filler inside the Chi-Ri's shells instead of being only solid penetrators like the Turian rounds were. This explosive filler also allowed IJA tank cannons, artillery like the 155mm Type 207 howitzer, and anti-tank guns, like the 47mm Type 133 Infantry Cannon, to engage turian infantry. While the shields proved effective against the shrapnel from these weapons, they failed entirely to protect against the blast itself. With turian soldiers suffering heavily to concussive pressure and the heat output by these weapons impact.

In space combat, this trend continued. Though it was much more pronounced. Comparing the main battery shells of the TSF Unbreakable to the IJN Dewa, one can near immediately see the design differences. The Unbreakable's main battery of 5" cannons fired a round that was approximately 58 kilograms at near 1% the speed of light. These rounds carried more impact force then IJN rounds, but like Turian cannons on the ground, they tended to pass through IJN vessels with relatively minimal damage due to humanity designing their vessels with quite cramped, and heavily redundant designs. Even a major penetration could be sealed off quickly by a series of bulkheads. The Dewa's rounds meanwhile were ~1,000 kilograms, launched at slightly more then 0.1% the speed of light. This allowed the Turians more time to manouver to avoid these shells, and they were less effective at dealing with Turian shields, but on penetration these rounds were capable of coring a Turian vessel with a single hit. Citadel designs tended at the time to have large open decks with little compartmentalization as the holes from the straight penetration of a normal citadel round could be sealed by the ships shields. During the war the catastrophic internal damage caused by human shells tended to cause entire decks to cave in on eachother and created breaks in the hull that were too big for internal shields to handle very effectively. Following the Shanxi war, the Turians, and to a lesser extent other Citadel species, redesigned their fleets to a more human style mindset when it came to damage control and heavily compartmentalized their vessels.

Back on the ground. The Japanese Shikigami walkers also proved surprisingly effective against Turian vehicles. More so then the IJA's Chi-Ris. This was because as was later learned, Citadel Shield generators were very poor at handling the effects of the long out of date HEAT rounds. Similar to their ineffectiveness against some of the more esoteric tech abilities like freeze bombs, or the impact of melee which has long been known to infuriate shield design companies. Such rounds hadn't seen use in most nations since they had reached space, long before shields became commonplace in their armed forces. Well placed rounds by the 120mm HEAT grenade launchers equipped on the Shikigami walkers could detonate the missile racks on the Hepestis, or destabilize the engine on the Veletis. In turn though the Shikigami walkers proved to be vulnerable to heavier Turian infantry weapons like the Scorpio Heavy Machinegun.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Here's chapter 4! A bit on the short side compared to the first two chapters I admit, but it just seemed like a good place to stop. Next one, but more likely two chapters are going to be the the real Shanxi War stuff as Bromraka isn't going to go down without a fight. Thanks to Kemjur and Patriota who reviewed the last chapter, and anyone has joined in on the follow and fav group. To everyone that reads, leave a review! It only takes a few minutes and it helps spur the motivation. Especially since sometimes reviews make me think of a part of the setting I hadn't thought to cover yet. So as always, see anything you like, hate, think needs changing, or want to know about. Leave a review!

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own Mass effect.

* * *

 **Eagle's Nest**

Floating through an empty star system, buried inside the debris field of what scientists had determined was a former planet, was the Eagle's Nest. A tall, oblong, station of unknown origin. Theorized to be the same makers as the martian ruins. Unlike those ruins though, the Eagle's Nest was still completely functional.

Deep within Reich space, the Nest was the center point of many things. The Abwehr, the Kriegsmarine, the Schutzstaffel, all of them had their primary bases here. Ships and soldiers guarded every door and docking bay. All of it protecting the man and the government that sat at it's center. Today it was not just one important figure there though, the IJN and Regia Marina vessels that floated through space showed that. Deep in the center of the station, protected from everything from ship to ship fire to assassination attempts, a meeting was being had.

"Of course the German Reich will stand by Japan in this matter." Came a level voice from a militarily dressed man. Close cropped hair and a clean shaven face. If there was a face one could have associated with a soldier of the Reich, it would have been this man. Jochim Braun. Born after the death of the first generation of the Reich, the man had risen to his position through shrewd political maneuvering and ruthlessness. Working his way up through the Schutzstaffel before taking control of that organisation. Leveraging his power to become the head of the country after the last Fuhrer had died.

The man beside him was not so much an impressive figure. It was not Ademaro Savona's fault though. The weight of years bore down on the Italian man, already in his 70s. Many outside Italy had suspected Mussolini would have left the party to one of his sons. Instead after his death the party had briefly been taken over by Italo Balbo. Then it passed on twice more until it rested with Savona. A significant amount of mustache adorned his face. Wizened skin surrounding that. His voice coming out more like a puff from his pipe then anything. "So shall the Kingdom of Italy."

Prime Minister Fujioka nodded solemnly to the two men, and lightly sipped his drink. He never did like the western wines. "Thank you both, I am sure between the three of us we could more than overpower these aliens."

"I'd much rather have some Russian, American and British ships to take the brunt of the losses though. Knock them down a few pegs." Savona said with a chuckle that shook his whole frame.

"Indeed," Braun gave a sharp nod. "I think they will both join the expedition. The Americans are too eager to prove themselves on the world stage, while the British need to continuously prove they are the dominant space power. The Soviets though, they are unpredictable. I wish we had wiped them out when we had the chance. Remove their danger from the world."

Fujioka and Savona both hid a sigh. The Soviets _were_ a problem, constantly they would catch them spying, and workers' revolts were almost always their doing. Braun though seemed to have inherited too much from the original holder of his job position. Both the other leaders had come to the conclusion that while they could do without the Soviets, the communists weren't going anywhere quick and they lacked the material to beat them. The western powers would surely jump on all three of them if they tried it.

"Indeed. The British and French have already agreed, and with them the Commonwealth and the Union." Fujioka said stiffly. While Savona seemed to treat these meetings as a gathering of friends. Fujioka, and he suspected Braun, would much rather be somewhere else. The others in this room were at best, allies of the times. He at times wished to split Japan from the Axis, but he knew if he did, the Empire would be in peril.

"My admirals will be quite eager to see the british battleships in action. They've been chomping at the bit to get more information about them." Samova meanwhile moved to refill his own cup of wine. "I'm sure by the time we finish the bottle the American will have agreed."

"You mean by the time you finish the bottle?" Braun raised an eyebrow. Turning away from the video screen on the wall that showed the surrounding asteroid belt.

"I, we, same thing." Samova waved it off, and looked over at Fujioka. "Regardless, my point still stands. How is the ground battle going on Shanxi? Or are you not prepared to release that information?"

"We're holding the line. These aliens have equipment that would make your Folgore or MAS operators look like they were savages. Their individual troops seem to have shield generators and full body armour. We still defeat them, but the troops are burning through ammunition to do so."

"Noted, I'll inform the generals to prepare their troops for heavy resistance." Braun said with a nod. "At least our guns still are effective, we can fight back."

"Don't have to throw a tank to counter an infantryman." Samova agreed, growing serious for a moment, and reminding Fujioka that he was formerly a general. "Regardless, we will purge them from Shanxi. Show them that humanity is not to be trifled with. Maybe we'll even find some new colonies behind Shanxi's relay."

"New Japanese colonies behind Shanxi's relay." Fujioka glared at the Italian prime minister.

The man only grinned in response, his face cracking like a parched desert. "You know you are going to have to open it to everyone after this coalition."

Fujioka didn't like it, but Samova was right. One of the downsides of calling in the League, they'd demand that all land beyond it be open for all nation's explorers, instead of just those Japan let through. It was vexing, but he had already made his call for help. He couldn't turn it down now.

Samova chuckled at the sour look on the Japanese man's face. Reaching over he grabbed the last of the bottle of wine and downed it himself. Almost as the exact same time the last drop passed his lips, Fujioka's pad beeped. "Let me guess, that was the Americans agreeing?"

The old man's chuckle turned to a full blown laugh as Fujioka's mood soured further. All the proof he needed. These youngsters seemed to think he'd gone senile. Really, no respect.

-WoE-

 **New Yuncheng**

The city was an inferno.

There was no other way to describe Yuncheng at this point. The Element Zero storage tanks at the edge of the city had been detonated. The work done by a group of intrepid IJA soldiers, along with the last of the Shikigami walkers. Fire had spread from the storage facility, overtaking block after block as debris and detritus floated through the sky and down the streets. The firestorm had forced IJA soldiers deeper into their underground fortifications, and the Turians out of the city while it raged.

Then the clouds had opened up and it had rained a near monsoon. The fires put out by the deluge as broken roads and what few open fields there was turned to mud and sludge. IJA soldiers had streamed out of their fortifications to reclaim the ruined city. The wreckage and burned husks were more useful cover than when they stood.

Private Kobayashi clutched the alien rifle to his shoulder as he scanned the drenched section of fog covered road before him. His Type 48 had run out of ammo and he'd just picked up one of these strange alien weapons from a fallen enemy. There didn't seem to be any need to reload the rifles or maintain them. Could they just fire on infinitely? This weapon was like magic. He wasn't the only one to try this, as many other soldiers had taken the enemies weapons. They worked much better against the alien's shields, but he would have rather had his Type 48 after that. He swore this thing was shooting grains of sand or some other insanity. It also came with a thermal scope though, and that was helping greatly in the current situation.

Covered in rubble, the rain streaming down his face, he watched as multiple figures stepped down the street. The fog shrouded them, but with the thermal scope he could see them walking in standard search and advance formation. Guns pointed in every direction, scanning for threats.

It seemed they weren't able to see through the rubble, though. With the burning embers still raging despite the drenching rain, the small heat signature he and the others gave off probably was looked over. Time to make them pay for that mistake.

The aliens continued to approach. Stepping closer and closer, making the private cling tighter to his rifle. His knuckles turning white. Finally he heard the Major say. "Now!"

The gun barked in his hands, firing a stream of rounds into the aliens. The gun visibly sizzling as the torrential rain hit the barrel. His shots were joined by others, both full rifle rounds and these alien projectiles. The aliens reacting and firing back as the street turned into a charnel house. Death for both sides came with the rain, guns silenced, bodies tumbled. A grenade went off somewhere near Ren and nearly made him deaf.

Then just as quickly as it started, the firing stopped. The aliens lay dead, and Ren saw other figures pulling themselves out of the rubble. Digging trenches in this rain was impossible, and they were trying to keep the aliens as far away from the evacuation shelters as they could. The resort had been these attacks. Letting the aliens advance to their death. Even still, for half a dozen aliens killed in an ambush, ten of his comrades didn't get up.

Ren knew they were losing, slowly but surely. Some might call the loss of the city a defeat in itself. Still, he would keep fighting. Keep holding. He knew that out there reinforcements were coming, and that him and the IJA could keep this fight going. Fighting until the last man fell.

-WoE-

 **Joseon System, Imperial Japanese Territory**

The Joseon System was the nearest link to Shanxi. A relatively 'sleepy' system. It had a single world that was lightly populated, and a single minor space station. Said space station was completely unprepared for the volume of traffic in the system now.

Battleships, carriers, cruisers, destroyers. A bona fide fleet, all of various sizes and nationalities, now orbited the planet. The IJN first, second, third and sixth fleets were there. The grand shapes of the Yamato, Musashi, Shinano and Satsuma drifting among them. The four great battleships of the japanese navy all gathered together for this operation. They were not the largest vessels in the combined fleet though.

A fleet from this many states, united against a common foe, hadn't occurred since the expedition against the Boxer Rebellion. As such, every nation was taking its chance to show off as it were. More orbital tonnage was over Joseon than any planet had likely ever seen.

The American fleet had two of it's slightly larger Maine class battleships. The vessels carrying more guns, but of a smaller caliber than the Yamato class's titanic eighteen inch guns. Even larger still was the Germans singular H-258. An utterly daft concept that was nearly half as long again as the Maine class, and had bigger guns than the Yamato. The thing worked, but the singular vessel costed nearly as much as the four Yamatos combined. The British HMS Thunderer was the Kingdom's own flagship of the operation. Not up to the size of even the Yamatos, but armoured and designed by some of the best shipbuilders in the world. Finally, for the major powers present with a battleship, the Impero, was a quick and accurate vessel, but lacked much of the prestige of its cousins.

Around the capital ship fleets was many others. Commonwealth cruisers and destroyers. A Soviet contingent of light cruisers. The French battlecruiser Alsace and its supporting fleet. Those were just some of the ships present, many more orbiting the world that weren't attention grabbing enough to be named.

It wasn't only human vessels in the system of Joseon though. Far, far at the edge of the system, a small probe floated along. Turian in make, it was recording all the ships it saw, looking to send the data back to its home base. Unfortunately...someone had rerouted it.

-WoE-

 **TSF Unbreakable, In Orbit over Shanxi**

"Get me an update on that silent probe. I want its data." Bromraka growled from his command chair. The probe, one of many he had sent out the day before, had detected a small human force over the planet, with a few more ships arriving before it had gone dark. That worried the Turian admiral. If a few ships were coming to that nearby system, one with a connection to this alien world, then there could be even more rallying there. He _needed_ to know just how many alien ships might be there now.

Unfortunately, nothing his crew had been able to do could get the probe back online. They got enough info that the probe was still working or at least on, but the data couldn't come through. It was infuriating. For all he knew they were gathering up a fleet to counter attack him now, and if he lost to that then he'd go down in the history books at the admiral that lost because of a technical malfunction!

"Where the hell is that data going?" Bromraka mumbled under his breath. Unfortunately, the admiral had forgotten a rule of the galaxy. Even though he had shut down all ingoing and outgoing transmissions from his fleet. Information always gets out.

-WoE-

Galna Maxipanus would be sweating, if turians could sweat, Galna would be doing so right now. Luckily they didn't. That made things much easier as he tried to hide what he had done. The STG had guaranteed his family at home a not insignificant amount of money. All they had asked was that he converted one of the probes the admiral had sent out to instead broadcast data to them. Well, it was doing that now, he just had to keep himself from getting caught…

-WoE-

 **The Citadel**

Councillor Caelus Druscus was not in a good mood. Nor were the primarchs. Nor was any of the other councillors. Indeed, it might not be a lie to say _nobody_ was in a good mood right now. Of all the ways he needed to learn about this, it was not from the Salarian councillor and his thrice damned STG.

"A _war_ , Druscus. I don't know how much more I can stress this. Your admiral has caused a war with a previously unknown species." Councilor Tevos, the longest serving member of the current council by virtue of being an Asari, said.

"A policing action." Druscus returned stoically. Even as he watched messages flying over his tablet. It looked like nobody was able to get into contact with the spirits damned Bromraka and call him back. "Admiral Bromraka encountered the aliens activating a mass relay. As you all know this is against council laws. He was well within his remit to enforce citadel regulations."

"Citadel regulations do not include ground invasion. Nor shooting without warning." Councilor Ibam replied. His speech quick and short like the rest of his short lived kind.

"According to Bromraka's reports." Which the Primarchs were only receiving now since the Blackwatch stole it off the STG. Druscus still didn't know how the Salarians got their hands on it before they did. "The vessel that exited in Citadel Space was armed like a small cruiser. A warning shot may have endangered the patrol vessels that engaged it."

"Shooting first got the patrol fleet annihilated shortly thereafter." Ibam commented. "Bromraka's fleet may go the same way."

"What?" Druscus growled, glaring at the Salarian. "Explain!"

"Probe 17. The aliens appear to be gathering a fleet of their own." Ibam commented with a frown. Druscus should have known this already. The Salarian councilor hoped that the STG had covered their tracks well.

Druscus opened the report Ibam pointed out, and so did Tevos. It didn't look too bad. It seemed these aliens were attempting to muster a rather pathetic force of barely two dozen ships to assault Bromraka's now one hundred and thirty vessels. Even as he watch though, his eyeplates rose, and so did Tevos and even the Salarians. One hundred and thirty vessels was not much compared to say, the entirety of the Turian fleet, but it should have been more than enough to deal with a new species.

Instead even as they, and the Primarchs back on Plaven, watched the feed, the aliens numbers were swelling. Two dozen rapidly growing into three. As vessels ranging from frigate to battleship size appeared in the system. The numbers continued growing, passing Bromraka's fleet size and still going.

"Spirits." Druscus muttered to himself. The utterance picked up by his microphone and broadcasted to the other two councilors. Tevos muttering something that actually stayed hidden under her breath.

Three hundred vessels, and the number was still increasing by the minute. Nearly thirty vessels that matched Bromraka's Unbreakable in size, and nearly that number again that were nearly as large but appeared to be lightly armed. Not to mention some monstrous vessel that was nearly two kilometers long. Whoever this species was, they had more dreadnoughts than the Turian navy!

Ibam gave a sharp intake of breath. His eyes scanning over the report. Tevos just putting the probes data up on the center console so they could all see it. "Space militarization implies this is not first contact. Or these aliens are as warlike as the krogan."

"Alternatively, look." Tevos pointed to the displays of the various dreadnought class vessels that the VI on the probe was providing. Her finger touching where there was large paintings on the sides of the vessels. "These look like national flags."

"Disunified. Internal conflicts could explain fleet development." Ibam nodded. "Still using turreted designs, fascinating. Either new to space, or a doctrinal mentality."

Druscus meanwhile was not focusing on the other two councilor's conversation. Instead he was focused on the one he was having with the Primarchs. Watching as messages streamed by about how nobody could get in contact with Bromraka's fleet.

Then the relatively titanic alien fleet started to head for the mass relay at the edge of the system. There was no doubt where it was going, as Druscus looked to the other councilors. Trying to steel himself back into a stoic demeanor. "Councilors but I believe this calls for a general mobilization of all citadel forces. These aliens are evidently a threat to the galaxy beyond their borders."

"No." Tevos said with a glare. "The Hierarchy has tried to deal with this with war. We will not risk another Rachni War. Cut Bromraka loose. We will prepare a diplomatic alternative. We can only hope they will take it after this."

* * *

 **Codex Entry:** **The League of Nations**

The League of Nations stands as a rather unique body in modern politics. Having lasted for over one hundred years, it is an entirely human organize that served, and still serves, as a localized version of something like the Citadel. The League has significantly less power though, serving more as an oversight board then a ruling body. Intended to assist with avoiding another Great War (see Great Trench War/The War to End All Wars), the League is meant to be an open platform for each nation to present issues and complaints infront of an international audience. Working through disputes without resorting to force of arms. In this capacity, the League has been quite successful, having manged to avert the Danzig Crisis, the Ideta crises and the aftermath of the destruction of Sol System. The League rarely steps in in the small border skirmishing that is known to happen between major powers in the reaches of space, but has avoided another major war. Initially, in the 1930s it looked like the organization was on the way to decline, when Germany and Japan both left the league in in 1933, followed by Italy and Spain a few years later. Instead though, in assistance at providing a negotiation platform for the involved parties in Danzig. The lost member states soon rejoined, with Japan being the last state to rejoin the League in 1951. America, having long stayed out of the League, would join in 1963, and soon after almost every nation held a place on the League.

The Leagues second purpose is to provide a platform for nations to appeal for aid. Either economic, or military. The most recent use of the latter was the Empire of Japan appealing for aid against Renegade Admiral Bromraka's forces, while the most recent use of the former was an appeal for aid following a solar flare wiping out all technology on a Yugoslavian colonial world. This does highlight another difference between the League of Nations and the Citadel, in that the League controls no military forces. It does not even maintain its own police force. Security for the League at its headquarters station around Sol Relay is provided in parts by each member state. Assistance in military matters is provided by the member states in whatever capacity they believe fit.

After the Turian war, there have been stirrings and rumours that the League may be beginning to commission its own version of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance agency, but nothing official has been confirmed. Ontop of this it seems unlikely to gain much traction as few member states would allow another member state to be able to send agents into their territory.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Sorry for the bit of a delay, but here's chapter 5! Thanks for all the support so far everyone. The start of this chapter might be a bit odd, but I felt like sending the Battle for Shanxi off with a bit of something different. As always, like, hate, see something you think could be changed or want to ask a question about the setting? Leave a review! I try to PM answer most reviews with such questions. The War's not over yet though.

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own ME.

* * *

 **New Yuncheng**

Private Ren vaulted the broken piece of wall in front of him. Alien bullets whizzing by sounding like the rain that was falling for the fifth day straight, pattering against the wall and the ground around him. Beside him Corporal Yasu's torso span and fell to the ground as blood followed a round that passed through his shoulder. A few feet away Private Yori fired downrange with a heavy Type 33 machinegun. The weapon barked out brightly against the night, rounds spinning through the darkness. Bullets hitting alien and ground alike.

One round pinged off a lamp post, Junior Serviceman Dieus ducking from it as he ran. The turian trying to keep out of the way of the machine gun's line of fire. Behind him a Hepestis rolled into the street, a bright Spirit of Palaven painted on the side of the turret. The tank turned it's cannon toward the human's position and fired. The 37mm round trailed blue light behind it as it rocketed down the street, breaking through the wall of one of the intact buildings at the end of the road.

In the room below, showered with plaster and dust, an IJA 105 Type 22 cannon sat, crewed by two men. Loader Hideyoshi pushed a round into the breech a moment before Gunner Yuuma hit the firing lever. The flash of the large cannon followed by a spit of fire as the chemically propelled and mass effect enhanced round returned the Spirit of Palaven's fire. The anti-tank round punched through the tanks shields before bouncing off the front armour.

As the tank rocked from the impact, Principal Plaso growled.. The man shouted at his gunner as the turret turned and his tank fired again, dust obscuring the results of the shot.

Yuuma wiped dust and blood from his eyes, then looked at where Hideyoshi had been moments before. Now there was little more than blood and rags there. A hole had punched clean through the gun shield. Grabbing the shell his comrade had been about to load Yuuma slammed the round into the breech and hit the fire lever without aiming. The gun roared once again.

The round sparked as it hit the hull of the Spirit of Plaven, metal deforming under metal as the round drilled through the tank's armour before the round broke apart mere inches from Plaso's body. Dieus shielded his face as the Spirit of Plaven exploded. The tank's eezo reactor breaking containment.

Shrapnel flew in all directions, a single piece shooting into the air. The piece flew over the heads of the IJA lines, flying past the head of the Major. The man called into his radio for fire support for the Japanese lines. Finally the piece would hit the ground, embedding into a box of ammo. Private Nori nearly cut his hand on the piece of shrapnel as he grabbed a round for the 155mm howitzers, marked with a bright white symbol, and passed it on to the next private.

The round soon enough found it's way into the breech as Captain Kazuto dropped his hand, the firing order going out to the two dozen guns under his command. The howitzer rounds flew away in a plume of fire as they soared through the air. The white markings on the shells stark against the dark night. The shots arced gently through the air until they broke apart over Turian positions with a 'pop' instead of the normal boom.

There were things that were similar across the galaxy. While neither side knew it, the Human Xylophone was replicated by a Quarian instrument known as the Vibrophone. Turians had something similar to a guitar. Krogan, Asari and Humans all shared the tuba. Drums were universal. Everyone had some form of TV screen.

And yet there were always things that were unique to any species. When the Salarians had first come to space, they had underwater exploration equipment that had dwarfed the asari. Turians brought anti-radiation equipment and medicine techniques that were never seen. After the Krogan had been uplifted they were the only species to harness the splitting of the atom as a weapon. For humans, one of the unique innovations they brought to the galactic stage would be chemical warfare.

Whether it was through luck or a difference of nature not even the warlike Krogan and Turians had invented such a weapon in their histories. Weapons like Mustard Gas, Xylyl Bromide, Phosgene, these were unique to humanity, White Phosphorus was too. No other species had suffered a war like the Great Trench War, where all bounds of reason and international law had broken down completely.

So as the shells made their almost gentle sounding 'pop's against the hell below. The turians were utterly unprepared for the white clouds that spread across their forces. Burning pieces, hot enough to fuse armour to skin, hot enough to melt through even the radiation tested plates of the turian people. Screams came from the cloud as soldiers writhed, their lungs burning from the inside out.

It all paled to what came next. Eyes turned to the sky as another streak of artillery came in, green and blue Crosses marked along their sides. Again they struck with the harmless sounding pops. Some of the shells seemingly doing nothing, others spewing out green or brown gas. Turians unsure of what it was edged away from the shells. The men worried it might have been targeting flares for more of those incendiary rounds. Junior Serviceman Vimius was among those numbers.

Then Vimius felt the burning, his throat aflame. Dextro-acids might have rendered levo-food useless, but some elements and compounds reacted the same no matter what your protein base was. Phosgene blocked the turian's ability to breath while chlorine turned the moisture in his respiratory tract into acid. He was suffocating as his lungs were clogged and melting from the inside out. Mustard Gas burned what little skin was exposed and seared his eyes, blinding him as turians around activated their helmets.

The turian forces arrayed were mostly ground troops, planetary and colony garrisons that were called up by Bromraka for combat operations. They weren't marines. Their suits were designed to keep out dust, not hard vacuums. The last of the chemicals in the shell did its own near harmless yet insidious work.

Xylyl Bromide. A harmless chemical that caused irritation to mucous membranes. Remove yourself from the gas' area of effect and the symptoms disappear in less than an hour. It was also extremely good at getting through filters.

Turians found themselves trapped with the chemical in their helmets. Blinding them, causing them to cough relentlessly as the gas did it's work. Not knowing just what they were dealing with soldiers dropped to the ground and tried to work through it. Yet the irritation built until desperate men clawed their helmets off to breath, forgetting what else was in the air.

Junior Serviceman Dieus watched on. He had escaped to a second story of a nearby ruin. The soldier stood there watching as turians dropped to the ground, coughing out their last breaths. The men were unable to muster the air to scream. Blinking what tear gas made it to him out of his eyes he clutched his gun as he heard the humans roar. The cry was a sound any Turian knew now signified one of their charges. Dieus watching as they came into the cloud, rushing past him. Dying turians shot as humans with trunk like masks that hid their normally exposed skin advanced, leaving only the eyes visible through glass covers. Dieus was unsure if the humans actions counted as mercy or not but he would do his duty to the last. Raising his gun he saw one of the humans turning to him to shoot him down.

Then Junior Serviceman Dieus, and Private Ren stopped even as they had each other in their sights. Through the clouds both natural and not, blinding light shone. Day was hours away and both knew it. The two's eyes and many others around turned to the sky, where they saw a second sun.

TSF Unbreakable was plummeting down to the city below. The dreadnought burning from multiple hits.

New Yuncheng was lit by a towering explosion for the second time since the siege began.

-WoE-

 **In Orbit Above Báitóushān, Shanxi System**

Vice Admiral Tsuyoshi stood rigidly in his quarters. His fleet, along with Admiral Makoto's were hanging over the mountainous world. A relatively new planet that had only a thin enough atmosphere to trap some ice on the peaks below, and hence it's name. The aliens had more or less left them alone after they disengaged. Focusing on the siege of New Yuncheng. Both IJN fleets had been licking their wounds, repairing what damage they could. The fleets aiming to make a break for the relay.

They had finally reached the point when they could try. His Dewa's holes had been repaired with spare steel from the stores. The patches wouldn't hold up to fire, but it wouldn't strain the shields like keeping up the small barriers was doing. Following the conversation he and Admiral Makoto had had before, he was going to need all the shield power he could get.

His fleet, comprised of now only his own Battleship, the Heavy Cruiser Azuma, the Light Cruiser Kuzuryu, and a trio of Murakumo destroyers. Makoto's was in much better shape, and that was why they had come to the conclusion they had.

If they both tried to make a break for the Relay, it was likely the aliens would break the blockade to keep them from escaping. So only one of them could escape. The other one of the fleets needed to hit the aliens hard to distract them. Since getting Makoto's fleet out would be more helpful for the Empire in the long run. After all, the aliens had started to cut out of system communications a few days back. For all they knew they were spreading out across the rest of Imperial Space and they'd need any ship they could get to drive them back.

Looking over at the clock on his wall, he'd set his jaw. It was time to begin the operation. Stepping out of his quarters onto the bridge he began barking orders. A more charismatic man, or even Tsuyoshi a few days ago, might have given his men a speech. It wasn't necessary though, word had already spread through his fleet. He could see the grim but determined looks on his crew, and some had even fished out and made headbands with the symbols for Divine Wind on them. Finally came the last order. "All ships, initiate short jump."

-WoE-

 **TSF Unbreakable, In Orbit over Shanxi**

Bromraka growled, looking back at the wreckage that hung in the air around the planet below. He was just hours away from the countdown he had set for his backup backup plan to go into effect. The aliens below continued to cling on stubbornly, and that probe still wasn't working. All in all he really wasn't too happy right now.

"Primarch! The alien's fleets are moving." Came a call from his sensor operator. Bromraka's growl getting even deeper. Could these Spirit's forsaken aliens not just let him invade their planet in peace! "The larger fleet is angling toward the relay, the smaller one appears to be pointed directly toward us."

So they were going to try to distract his fleet so the larger block could escape. Well, no worries. His numbers had increased since the last engagement. He would tear that smaller force apart and then burn out some of this anger on the larger fleet while it tried to run.

"Sir, the smaller force is activating FTL" The sensor operator started. Bromraka's nerves fraying even further. Activating FTL inside a system was difficult to say the least. Between how hard it was to maneuver while in non-relay assisted faster the light travel, and the relatively short distances anyways. Most fleets would just operate at sub-ftl speeds instead. Taking the few minutes of travel time over being blind on their sensors. Unfortunately though the aliens apparently didn't get the memo, and a moment later the smaller fleet was right on top of his.

The standard tenets of space combat, at least as far as Turian's were concerned, involved a few set engagement ranges. 'Extreme' when your enemy and yourself were both engaging with more than a minute of shot travel time. More than enough time to allow maneuvers and generally served little purpose other than harassment and taking down crippled vessels. 'Long' which was generally 30 seconds to one minute. Where engagement usually began, little damage but good for probing out an enemy commander's ability to react. 'Normal' which was anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds of distance. Just long enough that maneuvers sometimes worked, but sometimes didn't. A relative sweet spot where you could engage with good effectiveness without risking too much, where crew skill usually won out. Finally there was 'short' which was 5 to 15 seconds range. Very little engagement happened at this distance, usually reserved for pirates and krogan ships that would jump lone vessels.

What the aliens were using was _well_ , beyond short. The vessels were quite literally right on top of his fleet. It was a small miracle they hadn't impacted in FTL. Though that miracle didn't keep the frigate Rimanus from being broken in half. The armoured bow of the human dreadnought cutting through it's center. Going by just how little damage the dreadnought seemed to suffer, he almost wondered if human vessels had been designed with tactics like this in mind. Even as he thought that the enemy fleet's guns were blazing. At this range there was no dodging. Shells hit milliseconds after being fired from their barrels.

Bromraka growled as he saw more of his ships faltering. The heavy guns of the alien dreadnought claiming another cruiser while the rest of the fleet savaged his frigates. Though his own fleet was responding soon moments later. Ships swinging bows around as their guns fired. One of the enemy frigate's shields sparking out quickly, when Bromraka learned a downside to solid core ammunition when you were fighting at such short ranges as this. Immense overpenetration.

The Primarch watched as a shell fired from the cruiser Indomitus passed through the enemy frigate, and then hit one of his _own_ frigates as it overpenetrated. With the enemy fleet literally inside his own, rounds flew everywhere. A few burning up in the atmosphere of the planet below, others hurtling off into space. As his fleet adjusted more and more though, the overpenetration continued but the hits from those over shots to his own vessels didn't.

The alien vessels were rapidly starting to fall instead. The frigates were drifting through space, the smaller of the two cruisers was burning from multiple places. Only the larger cruiser and the dreadnought were still functioning.

"Sir! We have more signatures coming into the system. There are hundreds of them." The sensor operator called out, and Bromraka wasn't sure what to think for the moment. Either it was more turian vessels, in which case someone was muscling in on his glory, or it was more alien vessels.

He had a hard time believing the aliens could must _that_ many ships though. Unfortunately he was proven very wrong, very quickly, when he turned to the sensors. Stark hulls, very obviously not turian. The vessels ranging in size from the frigates he had just destroyed, to one ship that dwarfed his dreadnought. "Spirits dammit it. Turn the ships, engage them!" He growled, as the new arrivals began to rapidly close.

The largest concentration of naval power humanity have ever put together was an impressive sight. A wall of steel, shields flaring as Turian rounds impacted off of them. The human vessels turrets barking their response as the ships moved almost like a school of fish. Turning together to bring their broadsides to bear. Their fire coming in like a tidal wave as they struck into Bromraka's fleet. While Tsuyoshi and his Dewa, along with the Azuma continued to cause havoc within the turian's own lines. Even as the Azuma took a hit that sent one of its gun turrets spiraling off into space.

The Turians were forced to split their fire, and quickly began to fall under the tide of shells. Not to say they didn't fight back effectively though. The HMS Response, a modern heavy cruiser, detonated as its magazine was hit. The German Carrier Graf Zeppelin took a full broadside from a heavier turian cruiser that bypassed the front line of the fleet, knocking out its launch bays and leaving the ship's repair crews scrambling. The Onevoy broke in half as the destroy was speared with multiple shots. Bombers were destroyed by the dozens as they were caught in the crossfire or hit by Turian anti-missile weapons. Even the HMCS Ontario, a Commonwealth battleship, took a series of hits that left the vessel crippled as its primary and secondary bridges were knocked out along with it's engines, until finally a round hit it's element zero storage and blew the rear of the ship off. Those were just some of the casualties of the battle.

As it was though, the most interesting battle was just starting. The Dewa had continued its forward steam, seemingly without care for the dozen or so holes in its sides from short range penetrations. It's engines burning at full pace as it closed in with the Unbreakable. Bromraka forced to turn his vessel once again as he felt his ship shudder under fire from the battleship's main battery. "Knock that dreadnought out already!" He shouted as he felt the guns charge up below him.

Then they fired, and tore into the Dewa. Punching into the vessel with another series of six holes. The damage leaving the ship venting more atmosphere as it still came. The smaller guns along the ship's sides lighting up and Bromraka followed the trails, practically looking like lasers at how close they were, as they impacted against his shields. Watching as the number started to rapidly decrease. Percentages of shield power disappearing every second. The secondaries doing their work at wearing his vessel down as the primary battery reloaded.

Bromraka's guns though reloaded much faster, another full barrage fired, and he let out a bit of a cheer to himself as the front turret of the enemy ship buckled, and then exploded. The explosion traveling through the vessel and blowing through much of the bow.

But still the ship kept coming. The second upper frontal turret seemed to be knocked out from the explosion, along with the lower front turret. Bromraka's smile dying long before it could even stop as he watched his shields drop down to 0. Then he could practically see the enemies' remaining main battery firing. Even as everything went black. The Unbreakable gutted from half a dozen 1000 kilogram shells detonating inside its hull.

-WoE-

 **IJN Dewa**

Tsuyoshi couldn't help but grin at the sight as the enemy command vessel buckled and broke under his remaining guns. Even as he looked at the damage reports from his own ship. Turret A1 and A2 were gone, B1's crew had been taken out from the backblast. The Dewa's bow was gone, much of it's innards were too. The only reason most of the turrets was still working was that they were able to be sealed from the halls they were attached to. He'd take a guess that he was down to maybe a few hundred crewmen left from over a thousand to start. His fleet was gone, the Azuma biting it in the last minute before engaging the enemy flagship.

Still, he did what he needed to. They destroyed the enemy commander. The enemy fleet was without a head. Even as he watched around his ship, he saw the alien ships dying in droves under the weight of fire. Nobody was shooting him anymore. The alien ships aimed for the main fleet and he admitted they died like proper soldiers. Holding to the last as not a single vessel tried to break off. He wondered how many prisoners would be taken from the many drifting hulks.

Then he noticed something that made his eyes widen and he jumped from his musing. The enemy flagship had been caught in Shanxi's planetary gravity well. Falling toward New Yuncheng below. He was about to order his crews to fire on the broken hulk but that might just cause it to break up into even more parts, or cause his shells to miss and destroy the city anyways.

So all he, and anyone else that wasn't involved in the rapidly dwindling space battle could do, was watch as the

the vessel falling as it was caught in the planet below's gravity well. Dropping down into the atmosphere below.

And all they could do was watch.

* * *

 **Codex Entry: The** **Greater Japanese Empire**

The Greater Japanese Empire stands as one of the 7 'Great Powers' of Human space and is in control of one of the three relays between Citadel Space and Human Space. Generally considered one of the smaller great powers, alongside Italy, this mindset tends to become less and less accurate with each passing year. The Greater Japanese Empire entered the space race late due to its war against China but quickly corrected for this following the war, and with the assistance of Italian Rocketeers. With the discovery of the Charon relay, Japanese explorers would manage to lay claim to a few of the connected planets and began the beginnings of its Star Empire. At this time the GJE holds control over 47 worlds directly, and another 6 through its allied states the Chinese Co-Prosperity Sphere and Korea.

The Capital of the Greater Japanese Empire is the Yamato System, and the country is ruled by an Emperor, which many within the Empire believe to be a divine or semi-divine figure. Though much of the day to day running of the country is done by the Prime Minister and a council of generals and admirals. In general the Empire is quite open about the power the Army and Navy have within it's politics, and it is generally seen in a negative light by most Citadel Species and the 'Western Powers' faction of Humanity.

The Greater Japanese Empire also has a track record of war crimes and atrocities, on public record despite the Empire's best attempts to suppress it. During it's invasion of China in the 30's the capture of the Chinese city of Nanjing resulted in weeks of violence and destruction that resulted in international outcry. During the 'Colonial Race' of the early 2000s, it was tied to no less then three incidents of civilian survey and exploration vessels from the United States, United Kingdom and Poland being destroyed to allow Japanese vessels to claim a planet first. This has in general left Japan as something of a 'pariah' state in international politics outside of Germany and Italy. Though in the years before the Shanxi War, the country has been settling to more peaceful international mannerisms and has regained some standing with the rest of the world.

In politics with the Citadel, the Greater Japanese Empire is generally seen as something of a vulture state. It's spread into the Terminus systems has generally been on the backs of failed independent colonies in the area. Once it has claimed a system and settled colonists there it refuses to let them go under any circumstance or pressure. As a result it has a very negative reputation among much of Citadel Space. Turians give them grudging respect for their refusal to back down during the Shanxi war, and their near suicidal zeal with which to defend their country and do their duty. Krogans in general respect the Empire for the same, though both alien species, along with any non-ambassador alien from Citadel Space, is banned from setting foot on Imperial worlds on pain of death.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Well this came out much faster then expected. The end of the SHanxi war is approaching soon, but don't worry. There's still going to be plenty of chaos caused by, and to, Humanity in the future though. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, as always, if you like this chapter, hate it, or see something you want to comment on, leave a review!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own ME

* * *

 **ORP Orkan, Unknown System, Non-Human Space**

Captain Jaskulski stood on the bridge of his destroyer. The elderly man looking at the local map before him as it displayed the other ships in the impromptu scouting fleet. The Orkan and its sister ship, the Huragan, were both present, serving as the flagship of the fleet. The rest of the fleet was comprised of two Commonwealth frigates, a Korean sensor boat, and a Yugoslavian armed survey ship. Together, they were one of the multiple scouting fleets sent out through the Shanxi relay. Comprised of light ships from a variety of navies in a deliberate attempt by each nation to avoid any state using this as an opportunity to advance to far past the others. Really, even with aliens breathing down their necks everyone was out for themselves first.

Thank god for translator VI's, otherwise this would have been a complete mess before it began. Jaskulski was also quite thankful that they hadn't encountered another alien fleet like the one that had been over Shanxi. Oddly enough none of the three scout fleets sent out along the relays paths had reported _anything_ yet. Unlike the systems that had connected of Sol. It seemed that habitable world were few and far between along this stretch of relays. There was a few, but they'd require such extensive terraforming that it really wasn't worth it. It made him wonder where all the aliens, currently dubbed 'Plates,' were.

Was it just happenstance that they had happened to run into that alien fleet? Was it just wandering through the galaxy and came across the Zhang He? Jaskulski doubted it. Maybe the Zhang He had run into a long distance patrol and that patrol had summoned that fleet. It'd make more sense with the way the engagement had happened.

"Sir, sensor contacts! They look different than the plates ships though." Came his sensor captain from just a bit to his right.

Turning to look at the readout he saw that indeed, these ships looked much different. At least most of them did. There was four in all, one that looked much like the smallest of the plate vessels. The other three bore much more sloping designs, looking more like fish then the arrowheads of the plate ships.

"Sir, they are...targeting us with laser communications." Came his sensor and communication officer simultaneously.

Jaskulski could only guess the other ships in the fleet were getting the pings too as he saw his communication console flare up. Messages coming in from the other ships in the fleet. He pinged them to hold fire and wait further orders.. "Line up our receiving dish with theirs." The captain told the communications officer. "If they want to talk we might as well see what they have to say."

After all, he wasn't here to shoot, only to scout. But if the aliens wanted peace? Who was he to not let his name go down in the history books?

"Dish aligned, communications coming in now." The officer said, and a moment later a video came on screen, gasps coming from the rest of the crew. These were well different from the Plates, the race that had attacked Shanxi.. Where the Plates had been covered in well, plates, these aliens looked startlingly human. There were enough differences to know they weren't, from their blue skin to their head tentacles, but none on the deck could deny their human, maternal faces.

'The biologists are going to have a field day with this one.' Jaskulski thought to himself, before he realized he could understand what the alien on the screen was saying. His eyes narrowed as he looked to the side of the screen; the language being translated through was Japanese. An extremely poor translation, but Japanese nonetheless.

The old man took a moment before it clicked. The Plates must have figured out the language off the Japanese during the fighting, and had given it to these aliens. Evidently they hadn't really managed it. The speech was broken and jarring, but it was better than nothing.

More specifically it was good enough that they managed to get "Peace" out of it somewhere. Probably off some Japanese soldiers a few seconds before the bastards pulled a pin on a grenade, or something. Really, the rest of the message was a mess, but the word peace kept coming through and he couldn't help but smile, hidden beneath his heavy beard. "Looks like we beat 'em right good at Shanxi. Send out a message back to that mess they are calling joint command HQ."

"On it, sir."

"And let's give them a reply why don't we."

-WoE-

 **Asari Republic Ship Nefrane, Demtri System, Citadel/Turian Space**

"Ma'am, we're getting a response."

Matron Benezia gave a soft smile to herself. Maybe this would actually work and there wouldn't be any shooting. Then she could home and see Liara again. Really, the nerve of Tevos. Calling her out for a mission like this, one so fraught with danger.

Still, duty was duty, even if she didn't like it. If this all went well, she was sure she could leverage it back on Thessia for some serious influence. Matronity wasn't far away afterall. She shook her head to keep from getting ahead of herself. A response was just step one. One of a few hundred that one misstep could end up with them all dead and this war continuing.

"Let's see it. Hopefully we didn't insult them using that translator the turians gave us." Benezia said from her seat. A moment later an image of one of these 'humans' popped up. 'Human'; the STG had managed to dig that little tidbit out from some of Bromraka's data. Looking at the human on screen, she noticed the obvious similarities. They looked stunningly like asari without the head tentacles and with pale skin. She had been warned of that before by Tevos though. The information currently on a 'need to know' basis that extended little past the councillors and this mission. No need to worry the public about a potential renegade branch of Asari.

The other thing that stuck out to her was that the human looked much more like a wizened salarian or krogan then the images she had seen before. Evidently the figure on the screen was old. Much older than the average human soldier. She wondered if they aged like the Asari and Krogan, or if they were more like the Quarians and Turians, or maybe they were as short lived as the Salarians.

The message was currently muted. The translator VI working its hardest to 'fix' its own programing to adjust to what the human was saying. Iterative technology truly was a wonder. Finally it spat something out, and with a bit of creative changing of words on her end she figured out the base of the message.

"This is Captain Jaskulski-" Now wasn't that a tongue twister? Really, she hoped not to many of them were named like that. "-of the Commonwealth of Poland." One of the many states these humans apparently had; perhaps they were in a civil war state like the Turians once were? "We received your message, though the translation was poor. We assume it meant 'we want peace.'" At least they got the general gist of it. Stupid Turians, putting them all in this spot. "I cannot speak for the other nations, or even my own, but we will not fire upon your vessels if you do not target ours. I have informed my leaders and they will likely send direction soon."

Benezia sighed. It was better than nothing, and really, it was what was expected. The humans were too disunified to make this easy. She could practically feel the headache coming as she watched the collection of vessels drifting in space across from her fleet.

"Well, you heard the human." Benizia addressed the bridge crew. "Looks like we're going to be here for a bit. I'd rather not test their paranoia and leave for the next system." Benezia looked at her bridge crew. "For now, you might as well all take a break. Hopefully we won't be waiting too long. Also someone tell the Turian ship that if it fires I'll personally make sure to strangle their spirits on the way to the afterlife."

-WoE-

 **Taetrus, Mactare system, Citadel/Turian Space**

Taetrus, one of the newest colonies of the Turian Hierarchy, was bustling with activity. The definition of 'new' among Citadel species meant that the colony was in fact, the better part of a century off the ground. Among the squat colonial buildings on its surface, there was hundreds of millions of Turians going about their daily lives. In space volus trade ships, turian patrol vessels, and civilian ships of all different kinds darted around the star system. Going to and from mining colonies on the less habitable worlds, or down to the spaceport below.

Among their number was one vessel that passed unseen. Unseen and unknown, despite its odd appearance. It was not turian, nor was it of any kind of citadel species vessel. Narrow and short, almost too narrow. No citadel species would send anyone out on what looked like such an uncomfortable vessel. Indeed, anyone who saw it would likely ridicule the thing and whoever designed it.

But nobody saw it.

The Type III L-Boat drifted past a turian patrol ship near undetected. Its well shielded mass effect core didn't appear on the patrol vessels' sensors. Its general shape just being picked up as a very odd asteroid or space debris. The L-Boat series was the effort of decades of work with EZ engines; they'd been working to make them undetectable to the myriad of sensor arrays most human systems had. Useless in a battle line, hard to make, they at least did this right. Against the sensors they knew of, at least.

Onboard the boat, the German crew was nervous. Even if their stealth systems seemed to be working, they had no idea how long they'd hold against the alien equipment. They were here on the orders of the Fuhrer himself;not even the human fleets in Shanxi had spotted them. They were to do as much damage as they could behind enemy lines before withdrawing. Whether they could leave an actual dent in the enemy's war effort mattered not: the attack would be filmed and shown at home. The Reich could use such a victory as great propaganda to galvanise the people for decade to come.

They certainly weren't lacking for targets. Their captain had one in mind though; a titanic freighter that was drifting slowly toward them. Its sides covered in odd bulb protrusions that they could only guess where fuel tanks. If those were loaded with EZ then it'd certainly make a spectacle. Not to mention, the sensor pattern it'd leave would help cover their escape.

For now, they just had to wait. Wait and hope nobody detected them. The L-Boats were, to say the least, one of the worst postings you could ever be on. Each man wore bulky 'Überlebende' suits. The outfits providing two week's worth of air, daily food intake and waste storage from large backpacks. The vessels themselves were not even pressurized for the most part. The hard vacuum around them serving to mask their presence better than anything else. The men themselves spent the entire time on quarter rationing. Intake cut down to the minimum to avoid stressing their suits too much and to extend running time. The ship had only two mass effect entirely powered light guns on the top and bottom. It's main armament coming in the form of two near ship sized torpedoes with more advanced guidance systems than normal.

Doctrine called for the torpedoes to be launched at a range that would have been suicidal for any other ship. They only had two shots, and they had to count. The men held their breath. Their skin crawled in their suits every time an alien sensor passed over their ship. The few dozen meter long vessel slowly drew closer and closer to the freighter, its size absolutely dwarfed by the giant ship.

Finally they were close enough, and a thruster assisted push sent both torpedoes away.

Each torpedo carrying a nuclear warhead.

The volus onboard the ship detected the two blips on their sensors as they approached, but with no obvious source they figured they were just space debris; nothing their ships' immense hull couldn't deflect.

But when the two torpedoes hit along its hull, there was a blindingly bright explosion: Every Element Zero tank on the ship's port side exploded. The freighter jerked in space, shearing in half for an instant before the chain of damage caught it's other side, and the tanks there went up a moment later.

As the sky above Taetrus lit up with a short lived start, the L-boat was already turning and fleeing back to the system's relay. Missed in all the chaos and the sensor blackout caused by the Element Zero explosions. By the time the Turians realized what had caused the death of the freighter the L-boat was long gone. The titanic explosion of the freighter having cleansed any real evidence of their presence.

-WoE-

 **Asari Republic Ship Nefrane, Demtri System, Citadel/Turian Space**

"Mmmmm, now isn't that interesting..." Benezia tapped a finger against her cheek as she watched a feed Tevos sent her from the Council. The intent of the video was to make it easier for her to get up to date information for the incoming political dealings. Instead, she was getting a front row seat to Councilor Druscus' fast track to a brain aneurysm. The turian's jaws twitched even when he wasn't talking.

"The humans just annihilated one of our freighters. Even worse, they used _atomics_! They are even more savage than the Krogan! You saw the footage from the groundside battle at 314 as well." The Councilor shouted to an unphased Tevos, and a bored looking Ibam.

"Already been over this. Council well aware of the human's use of chemical agents. Only used them in what seemed to be last ditch effort." Ibam replied, looking at the image of the remains of the freighter between them. A video approximation of what the turians thought had happened displaying beside it. "Atomics is interesting though. Extremely effective. Much more refined than the Krogan's if they fit into missiles that large."

"Evidently they haven't blasted themselves into a desolate wasteland, Druscus. Else they couldn't be in the position they are now." Tevos glanced at the image for only a moment before looking back at the turian. "It seems they use much more restraint than the Krogans at least. Even then do _you_ want another Krogan rebellion on our hands? We know next to nothing about this species. It took centuries to develop the genophage and that was when we knew the entirety of the Krogan biology."

"All the more reason to start developing now! If this is them now, what will they be like in five hundred years? Even if we make peace with them for now, how long before they come back for more?" Druscus' arms flailed in impotent rage. Though he did at least get a reaction. Ibam nodding along with him.

"Yes, no harm in starting now. This time though the genophage will _not_ be used in offense." The salarian glared at his turian counterpart. Remembering what had happened with the krogan genophage.

Benezia on her end raised an eyebrow. She certainly hoped the humans never caught wind of that little bit of information. She doubted they'd take such knowledge well. Though she watched as Tevos calmed down Druscus and they moved past the talk of the destroyed tanker and genophage.

Pulling out a tablet Ibam would lead the conversation once more. "Yesterday STG probe slipped through the relay. The humans caught many of them though, but some got through to monitor their communications. They seem to be orienting toward defense over offense."

Benezia looked at the, admittedly rather blurry image displayed. Coming from a probe, and then being broadcasted by video could not have helped it. It looked like the humans has pulled a number of defensive stations into orbit around Shanxi, along with their fleet. She couldn't help but whistle to herself at the sight of the behemoth among their number. It nearly was as big as the Destiny Ascension. Given its dimensions it might have had more internal space then the Asari's lead dreadnought if she was going to be honest. A small spark of curiosity couldn't help but make her wonder what it looked like up close instead of through the blurry image? The human ships she was still drifting through space opposite of were quite small. They'd have been like gnats beside that things bulk.

"Going by communications network. We have very rough estimates on human space." Ibram continued. Switching to a map of the galaxy. Citadel space took up most of the entirety of the galactic south-west. The largest single political union in the galaxy.

Benezia sometimes wondered if people forgot that it was the _only_ such entity in the galaxy, which really hurt the 'largest' argument, might be more worthwhile now though. The map display of human space was...worrying to say the least. The humans controlled a space that was nearly one half the size of Citadel space, and that was a rough estimate.

The matron had to bite back a bit of a laugh at Druscus' reaction though. Really, the turian needed to understand that things didn't need to happen _now_. Even the Krogan rebellions had taken hundreds of years before they had become too pressing.

The turian was twitching. Literally twitching. Looking closer Benezia could almost swear Tevos looked worried the other councilor was actually going to suffer medical complications. Even without speaking it was obvious what he was going to bring up, and Ibam did it for him. "Projected size is worrying. Going by their ship designs and technology, couldn't have been using element zero for more than 200 years. Unlikely to have been space faring on a grand scale before then. Human home clusters must be highly networked by relays. Must also have high quantity of garden worlds."

Tevos looked over at Ibam with a raised eyebrow, ignoring the still silent turian councilor for the moment. Ibam tapping a button and switching the projection to an image of a planet. "The world Primarch Bromraka invaded was apparently a relatively new colony for the humans. Somewhere around 30 years of age. Extrapolation over controlled space. Very rough estimate of about 39 billion humans. Possibly as high as 55 billion."

Well, not as large as any of the big three, but that'd put them very much in the 'fourth' slot for galactic population easily. Considering Ibam's earlier comment about them being less than 200 years old that was actually more worrying than their use of atomics. Still, Benezia was starting to get a mental image of the species as a whole instead of just the one human she'd seen on screen and the pictures and videos from the battle on that human planet. If they were growing that fast they probably reproduced like the silarians. It seemed a bit odd that they'd lay eggs but really it was the only thing that'd make sense.

The humans also probably didn't live that long. She'd take a guess maybe they'd live into their 50 or 60s like the silarians too. That human on the other end was probably in his late 40s. Though she had to wonder what that was coming out of the human's face around his mouth? Was it some sort of plate thing like the krogan? It seemed to denote old age going by how most of the humans from the images that had had it looked older as well.

Mmmm, maybe she could see where her daughter was getting all those thoughts about becoming an archaeologist from. Maybe she should just let Liara go into that field. She was going to be going out into the galaxy soon so it'd be better than her going and whoring herself out in the terminus systems.

Shaking her head she refocused on the council conversation. It seemed that Druscus had taken his leave for the day, and the other councilors looked like they were leaving anytime now too. Though Tevos did turn to Benezia's video feed and asked. "Any news from your end Benezia?"

The matron unfolded herself from her chair and looked over to her communications officer. The asari being in the middle of giving her a shake of the head when the console beeped. "The humans are sending us a laser communication."

"Looks like there's your answer councilor. Let's see what they have to say." Benezia said with a small grin. Really, she couldn't have timed it better. The goddess must have been playing with them a bit today.

She shifted her feed to the council. Focusing the camera drone on the video screen as it lit up with the grey and weathered human again. "Asari Republic Ship Nefrane, this is Captain Jaskulski. I've received a reply from the League. They agree to discuss peace terms but on the grounds that such discussions happen in neutral human territory. They want me to escort you and your group to the League station in Sol."

She could take a quick guess the League was some human equivalent to the Citadel going by its name. Looking at the councilors she didn't even need to ask before Tevos nodded. "Take their offer. If you can try to get a projector and recorder linked into their systems so we can negotiate with them directly."

Well guess that was that. Benezia nodded. "As you wish ma'am. I'm signing off to comprise the response."

"May the goddess be with you Benezia." Tevos said before the link cut out and she turned to the communication officer. "Well, get us ready to send. Looks like we're going to be going into the belly of the beast."

Less than an hour later the citadel group was on the move, escorted by Jaskulski's fleet. Though the group would pick up more escorts when they crossed into human territory proper.

Benezia did get to confirm one thing. The human titan was indeed _much_ bigger looking up close.

* * *

 **Codex Entry: The German Reich**

The German Reich stands as one of the Great Powers of human space. The Reich placing, depending on opinion, in either 3rd or 4th place among the 7 states. Controlling some 77 worlds of various populations it also stands as the leader of the Tripartite Pact that contains Germany, Italy and Japan along with their client states. Considered a military powerhouse, the German Reich is looked at with worry by its non-aligned neighbors, and in general is seen in an even more negative light then Japan. While more likely to play within the 'rules' (See Human Rules of Warfare) as they stand, the Reich is generally considered one of the most ruthless human states. During the 1900s the Reich purged itself of anyone who was not an ethnic German and physically and mentally healthy. A massive exodus of minorities both religious and racial occurred in the 1930s and 40s and the initial 'purification' of the Reich was considered complete in 1957. Information of just how this was done was not discovered till decades later thanks to spy satellite imagery. As it became public knowledge of the Reich's ongoing humanitarian crisis, the state became ever more militaristic and jingoistic in the following years.

Prior to the Shanxi War, the German Reich had undergone a period of mellowing internationally. Until the rise Jochim Braun many had almost wondered if the Reich was going to become a 'normal' country within a the century. Unfortunately with the rise of the current Fuhrer the German Reich began a new period of uparmament and many assume purges within the Reich may have begun once more. With the H-258 being constructed and the German Navy and Army in general undergoing rapid modernization. This modernization project continues to this day, and while it has almost became standard course in Human politics, many wonder just when the modernization will stop, and the fighting will begin again.

In general the Reich maintains extremely poor relations with any state that is not part of the Tripartite Pact. Foreigners from other states are banned from entry into much of the Reich, and it's believed a low, near constant state of war exists in German-Soviet border territories. It is only thanks to galactic geography that the Reich has minimal presence in the Terminus or Citadel Space. As it lacks control of a relay to such territories of its own, German colonization efforts are required to go through Japan. These colonies are few and far between, but they do control a few small colonies throughout the Terminus.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** This one is a bit short unfortunately, but well it's a transition chapter. We'll be back to full size next time. As always, like, hate, see something you want to comment good or ill on? Leave a review. I feed on them. Also incase anyone is wondering where the next ISoaN chapter is, it's 50% done, got delayed by multiple surgeries in may and wasn't feeling very jovial so didn't end up doing much writing for the generally happy toned ISoaN. I'm hoping to get back in gear on it tommorow and have it out in a week or two.

 **A/N2:** Alot of you are probably wondering why the heck this shows up in your feed twice. The reason for that is well, as you'll see, this is an extended version of the chapter that was here before. This version of the chapter mixes what was the original draft of the chapter, with the final product of the chapter. In an effort to maintain transparency. The reviews from the deleted chapter (as I am unsure if they will remain or not) are posted at the end of this chapter, along with responses. Also note, much of the extended scenes have little to no editing done to them, as they were cut early on before proper editing happened. I decided I'd rather get the updated chapter out now and deal with the lumps of poor editing, rather then leave the original version of the chapter up. I hope you all don't mind (you'll likely find alot more commas then normal), next time we'll be back on our regular editing schedule.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Mass Effect

* * *

 **Sol Space, April 2nd, 2065**

If one had gazed at what was once Sol, cradle of humanity, they would see nothing. Blank space, empty of anything but dust, daunted the naked eye. Had said observers more advanced tools, they'd pick up the cosmic gases left over from when the system's sun exploded. Maybe they'd also see the small black hole sitting at the center of what once was a thriving star system.

But the system was not yet totally empty. At the very far edge, far enough to have been counted as barely within the system itself, any observer would see what had been humanity's saving grace: the Charon Relay. thrown into its new position the force of the supernova, the relay had stopped itself by means quite unknown to humanity. Beside it, the large form of the League of Nation's headquarters station sat,dwarfed by the relay itself but larger than any other human station in the known galaxy.

Today the system also had quite a fair number of visitors. Wealthy civilians, government officials, scientists, anyone who could get a valid reason and a pass to the station was there. After all, each of them would go down in history as some of those to first behold the intergalactic community; or the first to gaze at the exotic arrivals.

"Here to see the aliens..." Benezia muttered under her breath as she stepped off the Nefrane. The vessel docked in one of the large stations docking arms. The vessels sleek lines and curves standing out starkly compared to the much rougher designs of the human ships nearby.

Speaking of the humans, they were swarming over the landing bay. Hundreds of them. The species lined the catwalks and side paths to stare down, wide-eyed, at Benezia and her support crew. Captain Tychus from the turian vessel walked back straight by her side. They also had one of her techs, Priiy, who was doubling as her runner and communications officer on board the human station.

"Don't they know it's rude to stare?" Tychus grumbled, and Benezia had to agree with him. Being the center of attention was expected, but she had always hated being in the eyes of so many. She prefered to do her work from the sidelines or behind the scenes.

Still, she was here now, so all she could do was take a breath and stiffen her lip. Heading down the access ramp she took in the appearances of these humans more. They were remarkably diverse, at least in height and build. Some were tall, on par with Turians, even a few large enough to see eye to eye with a Krogan. Others were short, even a bit shorter than the short end of the asari spectrum, closer to Vorcha in size.

The tone of their skin was drastically different as well, very similar Asari there. To an outsider they might not realize it, but there was dozens of asari skin tones, and each one could tell you something of where the asari in question had come from. From the purple tones of Lusian asari, to the lighter blue of a Thessian, she wondered what the human colourations meant.

At first glance, the majority of the aliens seemed to be pale, or at least lighter in tone. Running from what she'd relate to almost a less saturated hanar pink colouration, to something a bit more like a brighter and softer turian green. They were wildly inaccurate but it was the closest connections she could make. Then there was small spatterings of darker colours, even a single man that was of such dark colouration that it made the lighter parts of this face stand out much more noticeably.

She wondered what that might have meant for some to be in much smaller numbers than population in colonies would be the most obvious. Benezia would also catch sight of more of the 'females' though they too seemed to be in smaller numbers around the station.

Looking to her side, she saw Tychus wasn't looking at all the humans around them though. Instead he was focused on the humans in front. These ones bore uniforms much closer to Jaskulski's, though of various colourations and design.

One of them, tall and well built, truly making the resemblance to a krogan a bit more noticeable, approached. The humans had assisted in constructing a better translator during the trip over, using their work on the Japanese language version as a base. It was thanks to that that Benezia would know this human was speaking to them in 'Swiss.'

"Welcome to Geneva Station, headquarters to the League of Nations. I am Guard Commander Blosch." Benezia had to suppress a small laugh as that came up as 'beard-less.' She had learned from Jaskulski that the white thing coming off his face had been a 'beard.' He said it was usually a sign of age and experience. She suspected this man's name was unfortunate if such was true. "We are here to escort you to the main meeting hall."

Benezia gave a formal nod, starting to follow after the human group as they turned and led the way. "We are in your care."

"Hopefully we won't end up regretting it." Tychus grumbled again.

It was a rather long walk, but soon enough the group reached the main chamber. Benezia having taken another breath as she prepared herself to deal with likely, at least a few human states. Unfortunately that breath did not prepare her to walk into a room with what seemed to have nearly two dozen representatives, all standing behind a flag to tell her they were indeed from different countries.

'Goddess help me.' She thought to herself. 'This will be a nightmare.'

-WoE-

 **Sol Space, April 14th, 2065**

Benezia had learned one thing over the last twelve days, namely that her initial thought of politics with the humans being a 'nightmare' was extremely underselling it. These people had a more than a dozen distinct political entities and each one had their own goals and wants. Then they were divided into three separate political blocks which kept tensions even worse. To be honest, she hadn't even had much time to talk most days. Instead the humans just bickered at each other over whatever the current topic was. Really, it was like trying to herd vorcha.

As it was the negotiations could indeed be called intense though if one wished it. So far there had been nearly two flare ups of war between the human states, and one directed at the Citadel. Honestly the longer she was here, the more Benezia thought it might be better to just back out of human space entirely and close the relays. They reminded her too much of the Krogan. They were too willing to jump on each other over the slightest perceived insult.

So far though some ground had been made. Much to the ire of the councilors the humans had insisted that they wouldn't be part of Citadel space. There was no negotiation on that point, and it had driven Druscus up the wall. They had agreed, after the ambassadors of 'Germany' and 'Italy' had talked down the Japanese one, to international borders at least as far as Citadel and Human space was concerned. Drawing the line at Shanxi and saying that all on the human side was human and everything on the far side was Citadel.

At the moment reparations were the problem. The turians had wanted the humans to pay them reparations for casualties caused in what they saw as a policing action, while the Japanese demanded a sum so great in human terms that it had flabbergasted most every human in the audience. Needless to say, such negotiations weren't going anywhere quick.

With a sigh, Benezia put the finishing touches on a message back to Liara, explaining that she'd likely be delayed for a while longer, and headed back to the conference hall. The humans seemed to be up for negotiation at any time, but they also insisted on these long recesses that just seemed designed to let people scheme in the wings. It almost felt like she was in the Council of Matriarchs at times.

 **Sol Space, April 20th, 2065**

"Absolutely not! The German Reich will not open it's borders to traders. We will not allow our markets to be flooded with xeno filth."

Benezia resisted the urge to palm her face in her hands as she watched the portly German ambassador's jowls quiver in rage. All that had been suggested was some form of trade agreement. The 'Treaty of Shanxi' had been finalized earlier that day, and now was in the final process of drafting and readying for signatures. She had figured, and the council had agreed, that maybe the opening of low levels of trade between the independent Human space, and the Citadel would be reasonable.

Apparently not, at least for some states.

"Imperial Japan agrees with the German ambassador, we will not open trade with the xenos."

"I do believe it is time for a recess. We should give all nations a proper chance to consider the offer and ramifications." Came the nasally voice of the british ambassador, and soon enough the group was dispersing.

Benezia was prepared to head back to her accommodations as usual, but found herself waylaid by the American ambassador. James Toole was the man if she remembered correctly. For whatever reason Benezia was reminded of a salarian whenever she looked at him. He was tall, lanky, and just as slimy as the amphibians.

Giving a small nod, the man would motion down the hall to one of the conference rooms. "Miss T'Soni, if you would come with me. Myself and the Entente are having a conversation about your proposal in the conference room. We'd like to have you present."

That was one thing Benezia and the council had come to figure out over the past few days. The 'Democratic' powers seemed to be much more open to relations with the Citadel. The asari didn't really believe it had much to do with their morales, as she still saw some looks of disgust at her presence from some members when she stepped into the room. If anything she thought they were just more willing to work with an outside power to become stronger. While the 'Soviets' and 'Tripartite' pact members seemed much more focused on becoming powerful without outside help.

Still, it was better the nothing. Even if she didn't trust these humans any further than she could throw them without biotics, she'd sit at their table and negotiate out a series of trade deals. Shanxi relay having been turned into a 'neutral' relay certainly helped matters.

 **Citadel, April 21th, 2065**

The council was meeting once again, though not for the reason the three councillors would have likely expected if asked the day before. The three had been meeting every day to talk with Benezia and Tychus about negotiations with the humans, but today they were looking over the work of a Salarian STG agent that had been attached to Benezia's vessel without her knowledge. The agent's job had been simple, he was to try to slip into the human's computer systems and learn everything he could.

Despite the simplicity, the task had ended up taking much longer than expected, namely because the human computer system operated on an entirely different system then the citadel. For the citadel, they had carried the system of 10s over to the basic operation of their computers, for the humans, they apparently used a system of 2s. It had taken some time to figure that one out, but now they had access to the human version of the Extranet.

All three councillors present couldn't help but be a bit confused at how it was known as the Internet. It was an odd coincidence that was piling on top of significantly to many coincidences already.

Tevos had hoped, in some vien logical reasoning, that what they would find would _not_ make the situation worse somehow. To say the least what they were pulling up was doing the exact opposite. Wars, blood and death, those three things seemed to categorize much of human history. It was only recently that it seemed to have died out, and even then, a moment of observation of their version of the citadel could tell one they were ready to go to war once more at a pin drop.

The VIs assigned to assist in sorting out the STG's findings had also pulled out hints of other things. Things like a 'Unit 731' that rumours, and a few apparently leaked documents, mentioned live experimentation of weaponry and gasses along with other horrors. Talks of mass incarcerations that had high fatality rates, purges of entire sectors of some states populations.

Really, every new document they got their hands on seemed to only point to a species that was indeed as potentially risky as the Krogan. The only difference was that these ones got to space on their own.

"Well, I think this proves me right." Druscus growled as he threw his tablet on the table, a page from their 'Wikipedia' showing something about the 'Battle of the Somme.' "These humans are dangerous, they murder themselves in the millions over the death of one person or even less."

"Do seem prone to violence, but seems generational. Tensions build up over years and then release in one go." Ibam commented without looking up from his own omnitool. "We might be able to predict danger periods and redirect. Still, less dangerous than Krogan. Humans understand peace. Glorify war yes, need it no."

Tevos just rubbed the bridge of her nose, taking a moment to digest an article about the slave trade. "There is some good too. They appear to have been like the Batarians before, but abolished slavery on their own."

"Just about anything compares favourably to the Batarians." Druscus was unimpressed by the argument. "We've already come to a deal with them, one that I can at least agree to if not like. We can wait, by the look of it they'll kill themselves off eventually."

The turian leaned forward and tapped the table between them to get Ibam's attention. "Though I propose we increase the funding on the human genophage project, along with increase the amount of funding the citadel defense fleet receives. We may have need of them before the humans can deal with themselves."

"Agreed." Came Ibam's quick reply. "We may need a strong deterrent sooner than later."

Tevos nodded, almost a bit forlornly. "I'll agree as well. Let's just hope neither end up being needed."

 **Sol Space, April 22nd, 2065**

Benezia took in a deep breath, watching as the Italian ambassador wrote his signature on the Shanxi treaty. He was the last one before her that would sign, the signatures of each major, and some minor states covering the bottom of the document. Around the room hundreds of humans crowded into bleachers and booths to watch the event. Flashes from cameras breaking out every time someone went to sign. There was even a few asari and salarians from her boat here, allowed in under heavy watch to take their own video and pictures for the Citadel to record.

Finally, the Italian ambassador stepped aside, and everyone looked to her. The matron unable to resist a bit of maiden esq pepping up of herself as she stood up. 'Okay Benezia, you can do this. Just don't trip on the way up there and it'll be fine.'

Walking up to the podium where the document laid, cameras flashing everywhere. Benezia put her scrawl onto the bottom of the document, and ushered in a short era of galactic peace.

-WoE-

 **Timeline of Humanity, 2065-2070**

April 22nd, 2065: Matron Benezia, following intense negotiation with all all human powers, reaches a peace agreement between Humanity and the Citadel. The agreement, known as the Treaty of Shanxi, leaves Humanity as a whole outside of Citadel space. Neither side pays reparations to each other, and Shanxi is designated as the border of Human and Citadel Space. Following negotiations, the Citadel established a tier system for relations with Human nations. The Western Allies fell into Tier 1 and became regular, if distant, trading partners, while the Tripartite and Soviets fall into Tier 3, otherwise known as 'Hostile Actors.'

July 2nd, 2065: A second connection between Human and Citadel space is discovered at the joint US-Commonwealth system of Mackenzie's Landing (Commonwealth) and Williamsport (US) when the Quarian Migrant Fleet travels through a self opened relay just slightly beyond the at the time Batarian border. The Quarians, having been not informed of the encounter with Humanity, manage to barely avoid causing conflict when the locals panicked and thought they were being invaded.

July 15th, 2065: Following negotiations, the Quarian Migrant Fleet is allowed to enter Commonwealth Space. Further negotiations ensue even after this point as the human state is eager to gain as much knowledge of Citadel space as possible.

February 11th, 2069: Official negotiations between the Quarian Migrant Fleet and the Commonwealth come to an end, with the Migrant Fleet joining the Commonwealth. The action draws the ire of numerous human factions, but when the United Kingdom publically supports the move, the public rancor dies down.

September 19th, 2070: The first Krogan mercenaries and 'migrants' are seen in Human space. Generally, the strong aliens find work in Western colonies. Acting as bodyguards for important individuals or extra defenders against local wildlife, the Krogan population remains small but constant.

December 1st, 2070: Tensions begin to rise between the German Reich and the Little Entente over the Javor systems. The set of start systems was colonized by the Czechoslovakians, but directly in the path of German expansion. Tripartite forces mobilized.

December 2nd, 2070: The Soviet Union goes even more silent than usual.

December 4th, 2070: Rising tensions lead to the mobilization of Little Entente forces.

December 5th, 2070: French-UK-Commonwealth-American forces mobilize.

December 6th, 2070: The 'Great Space War' or 'Braun's War' begins as German forces invade the Javor systems. Simultaneously Italian and Japanese forces invade the Norduk and Manila systems respectively. As a result, the Tripartite goes to war with the Little Entente and the West.

-WoE-

 **Citadel, December 10th, 2070**

"It looks like what we expected to happen finally has come around." Druscus said to the other two members of the council. Tevos was still there, and likely would long after he died. Ibam had unfortunately passed, replaced with Jakart. The turian did not like the new Salarian councillor. Jakart was very withdrawn, and toted Tevos' line over near everything.

"Indeed." Tevos said with a sigh. "We should avoid intervening on either side. Unless the humans are willing to come to us."

Jakart nodded. "Humans likely don't want us helping either."

For one of those rare times, Druscus was actually on side with the other two. After the loss of turian life at Shaxni, and given a few years to calm down, he was very much onboard for just letting the humans massacre each other. "We should move more assets to defend the relays out of humans space and wait. Best case, the humans kill each other off enough for the survivors to come running to us. Worst case, they still likely will be weakening themselves for years to come, or the Tripartite wins and takes over human space. In that case we may need to move in."

Two more nods of agreement, and the decision was made. The Citadel would not intervene in the humans war.

-WoE-

 **Timeline of Humanity, January 2071-August 2071**

January 11th, 2071: The Javor systems fall to the Germans with immense casualties suffered by the Czech forces. Allied counter attacks begin at Shanxi and Dorn systems

February 7th, 2071: Allied counter attack at Shanxi repulsed, Norduk and Manila fall to the Tripartite. German advance into Czechoslovakian territory continues.

June 11th, 2071: Allies gain a foothold at Dorn, Czechoslovak forces, reinforced by Yugoslavian and Polish fleets, halt German forces on the outskirts of the New Prague system.

June 17th, 2071: German forces break through French defenses at Bar, French forces put on the run as Brienne and Vertus systems fall shortly thereafter.

July 22nd, 2071: German forces halted at the French colony of La Marche with heavy casualties.

August 3rd, 2071: Italian forces advance beyond Norduk and into the Alexandria and Darwin systems. Japanese forces advance into Rabaul system.

-WoE-

 **Illium, August 7th, 2071**

 _The following scenes may disturb some viewers. Please be advised._

The screen was one of many, while the Citadel had remained out of the human 'Great Space War' they had taken a bystander like interest in the conflict. Many bars across space would turn to the news whenever something important happened, or keep one station on it at all times. While much of the information came from the side of the 'Western Allies' as they allowed the occasional embedded reporter, that didn't meant it was in the Allies favour.

The images on the screen right now were of the defense of a planet called 'Darwin.' Video rolling of human orbital defense emplacements, literal mountains of guns and shielding, burning as ground fighting showed Commonwealth forces being pushed back by Italian troops.

The images would minimize into the corner of the screen as an Asari news anchor came on the screen. " _While the humans conflict has gone on for less than a single year, current estimates by the Galactic Peace Organization put the casualties at somewhere in the realm of 7 billion. The GPO blames extensive orbital bombardment by German and Japanese forces for much of the casualties._ "

"Heh, sounds like quite a fight they are having." A rather grizzled looking Krogan muttered to himself as he sat at the bar of Eternity. "Almost wish I was there."

The bartender, an asari matron raised an eyebrow at the krogan that was nearly as old as she was. "Really, here I thought you were talking about not wanting your species to die off Wrex?"

The krogan, Wrex, chuckled. It was a hearty laugh that shook the bar a little bit. "I said almost, I'm quite good here for now. Might see about going to human space after this wars all done. Might just fit in there."

-WoE-

 **Timeline of Humanity, 2071-2072**

August 27th, 2071: Italian forces break through at Alexandria. In the following months they capture Benise and Neo-Mysore systems. Dorn finally falls to the Allied counterattack.

August 31st, 2071: USS Iowa and its battlegroup manage to slip past German lines and encounter H-258 in transit between systems. The ensuing engagement results in 57% casualties for USS Iowa's battlegroup, including the battleship itself, but H-258 is sunk by shellfire and finished off by torpedo strikes from the light destroyers Samuel B. Roberts and Tabberer. German morale suffers heavily when the ship fails to reach it's destination.

September 15th, 2071: Japanese forces capture Rabaul with heavy casualties. Having secured the planets significant element zero mines, they halt their advance.

September 22nd, 2071: The battle of Gwynedd occurs as Italians advance past Benise. The Italian navy suffers a catastrophic loss to a combined UK-Commonwealth force and is put into retreat, shortly thereafter they lose control of Benise and Neo-Mysore.

November 7th, 2071: The Italians manage to stop the UK-Commonwealth counterattack at Alexandria, though they lack the forces to launch another advance.

December 19th, 2071: German advances renew at La Marche, counterattack against Dorn begins.

March 3rd, 2072: The constant fighting at La Marche and Dorn drains both Germany and the West. Trying to break through, German Admiral Manfield attempts to use his L-Boats to strike Allied ships directly in rear defensive positions. While initially successful, the Allies quickly establish defenses against the stealth boats and L-Boat casualties climb quickly.

March 31st, 2072: Allies are forced from Dorn system, and the Germans are once again repelled from La Marche. Fighting mostly dies down at this point.

June 2nd, 2072: A ceasefire is signed between all powers. Most sides are eager to end the war as most nations maintain fleets at an estimated 40-50% of their pre-war numbers.

-WoE-

 **Citadel, June 5th, 2072**

"Damn, it's already done." Druscus sighed to himself. Leaning back in his chair as he watched the news tick by. The humans had done quite a good job of killing themselves off, around fifteen billion dead. As it was, Druscus was quite certain if the citadel wanted to, they could take out the humans now. Send in the Turian fleet and force them into line.

The problem was those damned embedded reporters. Against all common sense, the humans had become popular among the populace, or well at least the Western Allies and Little Entente. They had become the 'underdog' and people had cheered when news they had begun their counterattack had come around, and now many were volunteering for international reconstruction efforts. Just going in and invading everything now would be political suicide for everyone involved.

Still, the war had done one useful thing, it had helped divide the humans further. The Western Allies were already relaxing wartime trade restrictions, while many in Citadel space were calling for the Tripartite's heads.

All in all, it could have gone much better from Druscus' perspective, but it could have gone much worse. There was just one thing that confused him though. Why hadn't the Soviets intervened?

-WoE-

 **Timeline of Humanity, 2072-2085**

July 11th, 2072: The Great Space War officially ends. The Western Allies and Little Entente are the side that loses the war as the current borders are made permanent, with Czechoslovakian space cut down by 1/3rd. The United Kingdom loses 4 systems, 3 to the Italians and 1 to the Japanese. The USA loses 2 systems to the Japanese, the Commonwealth loses 1 system to the Italians, and France loses 7 systems to the Germans and one to the Italians, approximately 1/4th of their systems at the time. In terms of fleet casualties, the Germans suffered the most heavily, followed by the French and Italians.

August 11th, 2077: The Human economy has recovered from the Great Space War for the most part by this point. The Human population would take till 2081 to reach pre-war levels.

May 13th, 2084: The first Batarian raid against human space occurs at Williamsport. The Western Allies send an ultimatum to Batarian space to stop any future raids.

April 2nd, 2085: A second Batarian raid occurs against Williamsport and Mackenzie's Landing, followed by a month of serious raiding that is put to a stop by the arrival of a significant defense fleet. A second ultimatum, this time to hand over all Batarians involved in the raiding to the United States and Commonwealth for persecution within 30 days is given to the Batarian government.

May 2nd, 2085: The Batarians do not respond to the Ultimatum. The Western Allies declare war on the Batarian Hegemony.

-WoE-

 **Aratoht, Bahak System, Batarian Space, Orbit  
May 3rd, 2085**

Gaphi Fedforr was not having a good day. First the engineering officer had received a message that one of his premier turian slaves had managed to escape his home while he was stationed in orbit. Then he had been put on alert for whatever reason the governor could come up with for the day, and was stuck standing at his post with nothing to do. The space above Aratoht was clear like it always was.

At least that was what Gaphi thought, a moment before the sirens blared. Even during the governor's little shows of power, the enemy alert sirens were never used. Honestly, Gaphi was surprised the damned things even worked.

Unfortunately even before he could check to see what was happening, he felt the ship shudder beneath him, and a new siren started to sound - the depressurization warning. The Batarian threw on his helmet even as the ship rocked once again. Turning to some of his grunts he shouted, "Get the shields online!"

Unfortunately, it was all for naught, as a moment later the engineering section of the Tunerron was hit by shell fire from the HMCS Hyderabad and moments later, broke apart.

The skies above Aratoht were alight with fire as a combined fleet of Commonwealth, American and British vessels dropped into the system from the relay. Having then jumped to nearly on top of the defenders using a short FTL hop that caught the Batarians off guard. The defense fleet, comprised of only a dozen or so vessels, was immensely overwhelmed by the attacking force and wiped away within twenty minutes of initial entry into the system.

Even as the last Batarian vessels were being struck from the skies, the lumbering forms of troop transporters were slipping into Aratoht's orbit, onboard were what would become the next generation of much of the West. When people looked back to the time, they could pick out dozens of important individuals aboard those transports. Fresh faced recruits, seasoned veterans of the Great Space War, or anywhere in between. People that would one day go on to change the universe in their own small ways.

Onboard the USS Argonne, in the vessels enormous launch bays, one fiery redhead was stepping aboard her landing shuttle. Cynthia Shepard, a fresh recruit into the United States Marine Corp, didn't realize she'd be stepping into history, at least not into a personal place in the books.

On the HMS Agincourt, another Shepard, John, of no relation to Cynthia, was crossing his arms as the pod doors closed around him. The Special Air Service operator taking a deep breath as he readied himself for insertion behind enemy lines. He too, would have his place in the history books, though at least on Aratoht it wouldn't be his name but his actions that would make it.

Finally, on the FS Bombarder, a green pilot was getting his first chance at combat. Geoffrey 'Plaisantin' Moreau eagerly at the helm of the small ground support frigate. Already he was dropping in through the atmosphere alongside the first wave of shuttles to hit known Batarian defensive positions and soften them up for the ground attackers. The man maneuvering the old ship around anti-air fire with skill that belied his age.

Aratoht was where legends were born, and the invasion had just begun.

* * *

 **Codex Entry: The Kingdom of Italy**

The Kingdom of Italy stands as one of the Great Powers of human space. Generally it is regarded in the 6th place spot for some period, it has since risen to 5th place following the "Great Space War"/"Human Civil War" (see Great Space War.) Generally considered as the 'lightest' of the Tripartite pact, the Kingdom of Italy is technically a constitutional monarchy with an elected government. There are indeed other parties then the the ruling Fascists that run each year in a regular election cycle. Due to the way the system is design though, these secondary parties have no real hope of gaining a majority, and even if they did, the ministers are appointed by the King, and the King alone. Though at this point not even the King could actually dispose of the National Fascist Party without bloodshed and rebellion. Surprisingly enough, the National Fascist Party actually is surprisingly popular among the Italian populace, even with those that migrate away from the country. In general this is believed to be because in comparison to Germany, the Soviet Union and Japan, the Italian fascists do not engage in regular prosecution against it's own populace.

That is not to say the PNF is bloodless as it had harsh rules over the Libyans and Ethiopians while Sol still existed, and it maintains hard line stances on gender equality and other matters. The state is also known to occasionally make troublemakers 'disappear.' It's more a matter that it keeps such matters low key and takes much more of a stance to maintain itself as a 'People's party.' It also has helped that under the PNF the Italian state has made significant gains in living standard for the average Italian, along with repeated successes diplomatically, militarily, and colonially.

Italy also stands as an outlier to the other fascist state (see the German Reich) in that it never took a stance on the 'Jewish' Question. This was mostly assisted by the PNF under Mussolini, and the Zionist Italian Jews reaching an agreement during the Italio-Ethiopian war. Mussolini offering parts of Ethiopia to the movement in exchange for political support (see 'Judaism in Ethiopia.') At the time many who agreed to this saw it as a temporary measure, which would later come to pass in in 1982 and 2027 (see 'Israel', 'Zion' or 'The establishment of the Jewish state.') To this day it continues to deflect German overtures toward the matter of the Jews that remain within Italian space, and as a result a thriving Jewish Italian community has contributed back to the PNF government.

Militarily, while Italy maintains one of the largest standing armies among the Great Powers, it is generally regarded semi-farcically by other states. It's navy is generally considered in a better light, but many countries put Italian military might firmly in the 'Paper Tiger' category even following their successes in the Great Space War. While initial engagements in the war went in Italy's favour (see 'Battle of Norduk' and 'Battle of Alexandria') they started to show cracks, namely in poor equipment and officer training during the Battle of Darwin (see 'Battle of Darwin.') The navy also showed markedly poor gunnery and that many of its vessels did not meet their published statistics. This came to a head at the Battle of Gwynedd (see 'Battle of Gwynedd') which resulted in a catastrophic loss of 44% of the Italian Navy in a single battle. The following battles of Benise and Neo-Mysore (See 'British-Commonwealth Counterattack of 2071') showed the weakness in the Italian army when they did not maintain full space control, with massive numbers of Italian troops surrendering rather then fight a losing battle as commanders called for suicidal charges and last stands.

It was only thanks to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth's own overextension at the Battle of Dorn (see 'Battle of Dorn') that resulted in the Italian navy being able to rally itself and stop the counterattack toward the end of the war. As the war was a definitive victory for the Italian state even with the poor showing in later battles, it is unsure if any lessons from the war sank into Italian command.

* * *

The Reviews from before the Chapter was modified, along with responses

 **From Patriota1993** : I rather expected the Citadel Council to try to manipulate the Great Space War to unite them into one nation under their rule. Somehow I can not imagine Asari tolerating a species that is not allowed, them to "guide" it, or turian tolerating someone with a bigger fleat (as a species). They have too much EGO to do this

Response: While I agree that the Citadel would not like humanity being independent, the Human fleet is not larger then the Turians (it is infact, about 1/3rd the size of it at the time of the Great Space war.) Ontop of that sticking your hand in here would be like sticking your hand in a hornets nest, unless the humans came to the Citadel with an offer, it'd be more risk then it was worth.

 **From Kejmur** : 15 billion people died in "Great Space War". Holy crap, talk about massive number. Well now Batarians will get a taste of similar casualties.  
Benezia and her reaction on first contact with human politics was hilarious :D.  
Well this is more data heavy chapter, but I enjoy those myself as history fan ;). So yeah, good job again.

Response: Indeed, unrestricted orbital bombardment does not a low casualty war make. I hope the expanded chapter will give you some more chances to be entertained without sacrificing the data.

 **From Butters101** : Why did you skip out on the council negotiations? Seems very lazy to be honest especially being that you used a bloody timeline to try to further the story which is possibly the worst way to continue it. Hell you missed out on the reactions of the council finding out about there history, the tensions between coutries and how they might want to go about exploring them. You even mention the negotiations were tense. How where they tense, you take the reader out of the story when you switch to aa timeline halfway through the chapter. It lazy story telling and i really suggest you come back to this.

Response: I actually agree with much of what was said here (though I like timelines as they are a good succinct way of getting info across.) The original draft of this chapter was much text heavier (as can be seen in this halfway between version of the chapter.) It flopped hard with some of the people I showed it to beforehand, due to being a veritable mountain of text with slow progression, and as a result I was talked into cutting it down into the state it previously was in. I didn't quite like the change, but agreed that the original version was to wordy and to much talking head syndrome. This review though spurred me on to creating this version of the chapter, which takes some scenes from the original and modifies them to fit a relatively faster narrative. While this might still not be the chapter you are hoping for Butters (and anyone else who had similar complaints as we lost a few follows with the posting of the last chapter,) I hope this one achieves what I meant to do with the last version of the chapter a bit better.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** Well sorry for the delay on this one, I actually ended up writing most of what will be chapter 9 first, as I intended them (and what is now going to be chapter 10) to be part of a single large chapter, but in the end I decided it resulted in something that was almost too disjointed as it jumped between multiple perspectives operating on different timescales (blame me seeing Dunkirk for that one.) Finally decided to just cut them up and deliver them in pieces. Hopefully chapter 9 and 10 won't take as long to get out as this one did.

To make up for the delay I decided to give some extra codex entries to give you all some more world building.

 **Disclaimer:** Still don't own Mass Effect.

* * *

Chapter 8

 **Boots on the Ground: Aratoht, Landing Zone X-Ray**

Cynthia Shepard didn't know what she was expecting her first landing operation to be like. Maybe something more glorious? Not desperate like this: clinging to her seat as her landing craft shook violently to dodge an stream of ground-to-air rounds. Beside her, Private Jenkins was trying to swallow his fear, but if they got hit he could well vomit it all out.

Even Sergeant Hane looked half terrified as the fire stitched by the view port in the doors. Really, only the pilot seemed to be keeping his calm. Speaking in a steady voice over the vehicle intercom.

"Okay ladies and gentlemen, we should be touching down in sunny Aratoht in t-minus forty. Please exit the craft in an orderly and calm fashion. Hope you brought your umbrellas, we have a hail of gunfire out there."

Up front, in their own compartment, the side gunners could be heard blazing away as the craft around them slowed rapidly, shaking this time from rounds hitting the shield instead of air turbulence.

"O-On your feet!" The sergeant barked and the group responded with well trained, if a bit shaky action. A moment later, just enough time for Cynthia to utter a short prayer to God above, the light beside the door went green, the door itself throwing open a second later.

"G-" The sergeant started before a round came in through the open door and removed the man's head. Cynthia froze up for a moment, and so did everyone on the craft as they were splattered with blood and brain matter.

That pause long enough for the corporal to take a round himself, collapsing onto the deck of the lander even as Cynthia finally got her wits about her. "Out! Go Go Go!" She shouted to everyone nearby as instincts kicked back in. The group vacating the craft without another casualty as the door gunners suppressed the Batarian position nearby.

Hitting the dirt of Aratoht for the first time, the landing craft pulling away behind her, Cynthia was presented with a scene near straight from hell. The landing zone was supposed to have been cleared by rapid aortillery bombardment, but whoever had thought that hadn't realized just how tenaciously the Batarians dug their defenses. Layer after layer of shielded bunkers and machine gun emplacements, supported by heavy anti-air guns that folded out of the ground. Machine gun and assault rifle fire was impacting everywhere across the landing zone around Shepard. The woman diving into cover in a crater made by the aortillery, Private Jenkins landing in beside her.

Momentarily in safety, Cynthia looked up to the sky above, watching as an anti-air missile crashed into another lander. The craft bursting into flames as its engines blew out and it plummeted to the ground, exploding into a ball of fire somewhere nearby.

"Shit! this was supposed to be a clear LZ, wasn't it?" Jenkins said, his gaze evidently having followed the same sight.

"Someone fucked up." Cynthia didn't have much else to reply with. Pulling herself to the lip of the crater she leveled her A-55 rifle toward some Batarian fire and let loose. Compared to the rifles used on Shanxi, the A-55 was significantly more effective at dealing with the threats of the modern day. The first two rounds were shield breakers, flashing against a Batarian's defenses before the following two normal rounds took the four eyed bastard out.

She ducked back into the crater a moment before return fire hit their position. "Batarians must be dug in deeper than ticks. Look at this crater we're in and somehow they are still up here and fighting."

The large crater was likely caused by one of the heavier guns up in space, a 203mm or a 320mm cannon. Since Cynthia had crawled up and ducked back down, the population of the trench had risen from two, to nearly ten. None of the corporals or any sergeant from the other squads were there with them, just her fellow recruits. Cupping her ears she tried to hear anything over the radio, but all she was getting was static and panicked shouting by unprepared units.

Overhead, another lander went down, and Cynthia bit her lip. If they didn't do something, the LZ was going to become a cemetery. Peaking back over the lip of the crater, Cynthia saw the Batarian machinegun nest had turned its attention elsewhere, and was in reality, barely fifteen feet from them.

"Grenades!" The idea came to her as she dropped back in, reaching into her webbing to pull free one of the circular explosives. "Get your grenades ready and follow my throw!"

Pulling the pin on the bomb, Shepard readied herself and rushed halfway up the sides of the crater. Just enough to get sight on the position again as she threw the grenade. A moment later Jenkins and three others followed her lead. The five bombs landing in amongst the Batarian nest drew cries of terror a moment before they went off.

"Come on, that position's probably got better cover than here." She called out to the men and women around her as she pushed herself out of the crater. Not everyone followed, but seven of them did, including the four that had thrown their grenades. Rushing across the way they made it without a casualty as they dropped into the Batarian gun pit. The corpses of the previous occupants scattered throughout the place.

Dropping down into the constructed position the group propped their guns on the far side and began firing. Aiming for any Batarian they could see from the new position. Taking out another dozen or so of the four eyed creatures before they were forced back into cover.

Private Amy, the only other women from Shepard's squad, noticed something the others had missed. "Cynthia, there's a hatch. The four eyes must have had tunnels."

The rest of the group followed her words, and looked at the currently half open hatch. Cynthia and another private from the group, Oran, shifting over to the entrance. The two not peaking in, instead Cynthia held onto the hatch and Oran pulled out another grenade. The man pulling the pin and dropping it down the hole as Cynthia pushed the thing down to near fully closed.

One boom and a fair bit of dust later, Cynthia threw the hatch open. Oran pointing his gun down the opening only to find another dead Batarian at the bottom. "Looks clear from here. Anyone want to go first? Maybe we can use it to ambush some of them."

Even as he said that, Cynthia took a moment to get stock. More troops were pouring into the LZ, their lives a little easier with one of the close-up defence nests now cleared. A few soldiers from another unit jumping into the gun pit with Cynthia's own group.

"They got tunnels all through here, probably." Cynthia said to the new arrivals. "Think you guys can hold up here, we'll go see if we can't root them out."

A corporal that was leading the new group paused for a moment. Looking at Cynthia's force. "Where's your guys' sarg? Or the corporal?"

"Both dead sir, didn't get off the lander." Amy replied.

The man seemed to be chewing over integrating their group into his own for now, but eventually said. "We'll hold up here, clear out those tunnels best you can. Shout up if you're being overrun."

The group nodded, and Cynthia looked to Oran, before jumping down into the hole. It wasn't too terribly deep, and she had the Batarian's body to soften the landing. By either luck or divine force, the hallway below was clear. No batarian pointing his gun at the woman.

Taking a moment to move out of the way she called up "Clear!" Aiming her rifle down the hallway as she waited for the rest to jump down and join her. With a thud Oran landed behind her, followed by the rest of the squad as they started to spread out along the tunnel.

To say the fortification was cramped would have been an understatement, for a Batarian, in full armour. For the humans in what amounted to fabric uniforms with a bit of reinforcement in them the tunnels were actually quite generous. It was fairly obvious the Batarians had intended to cram as much fortification and earthworks into the area given the designs. Approaching the t-section at the end of the path Cynthia covered the right even as Oran took the left.

"Contact!" The red headed marine saw a Batarian coming down the tunnel their way. The bark of her gun filled the tunnel as the alien seemed caught off guard and didn't get his own gun up in time, falling to the ground after a short burst. "Clear! They'll know we're here now so let's get moving!"

At Cynthia's words the squad started to move. The group barreling down the tunnels only pausing for long enough to check their corners. They passed another fighting position. The sounds of machinegun fire echoing from the short side hall. Stacking up at the entrance Cynthia and two others looked to eachother. Reaching into their belts they drew a grenade each before tossing them down the hall. At the muffled booms the group started moving again. Passing through the larger gate Cynthia looked up to see they were on the lowest floor of a proper bunker complex. Easily two or more floors up from where they were. There was also a solid half dozen Batarians at the top of the stairs. The group had to have heard their grenades, as they were pointing their rifles at them.

She heard Oran shouting something beside her. She saw the Batarian rifles shifting just to make the last adjustments of aim. She felt an electric static in the air, her hair standing on end. Then everything was lost in a roar through the bunker. The batarians, and the stairway they were standing on, collapsed and caved in. A large explosion forcing its way through the falling rocks. Dust and fire hitting their group. The explosion throwing her and her squad back into the tunnel they had just come from. She heard her helmet break as she hit against a loose chunk of debris. Her vision got fuzzy. She felt hands on her arms and heard something about orbital bombardment.

Unfortunately before she could actually piece her head together she felt the earth shake. Another explosion. She saw another wave of fire heading their way. The girl managing to dig her feet into the ground as it came toward them. Grabbing at the arm holding her, she pushed whoever into a side path. She had to hope they were safe as a moment before she felt a burning pain and everything went black.

 **Various Parts of the Galaxy, 25 minutes after Aratoht ground invasion began.**

If there was one constant in the galaxy, it'd be that no matter what happened, people would watch the news. Either from major companies, independents, or those in between. Every species that had joined the galactic community, even the Krogans, had a hint of natural curiosity buried in them somewhere. In the face of the coming news, humans across the galaxy already had their sets turned to various sources to hear reports of the ground war. For aliens, some had heard through human contacts, or other means, and had tuned in themselves to watch.

Despite the channel though, anyone tuned into the western news media would see the same footage. Shot by an, as some might say, rather suicidal news crew. Some might say the free press has no purpose being on an active battlefield, those people have evidently never heard of Westerlund News.

"This is Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani reporting live from Aratoht," An arabic woman wearing a combat helmet spoke into the camera. Judging by the scene she was currently ducked behind the wreckage of a crashed lander. "I'm here at Landing Zone X-Ray with elements of 5th Marine Division."

The woman ducked as rounds pinged off the wreck behind her, followed by the sound of a heavy machinegun chattering from somewhere just off camera. "The landing zone has been heavily contested by Batarian defense units, but the Marines have been slowly gaining ground."

Once again the sound cut out as a lander went in hard in the background, one of it's engines breaking free and rocketing off screen. "I have heard that the other landing sites are already being cleared but-"

This time Khalisah was cut off by a noise like a rolling thunder, before there was a bright flash and dirt being kicked hundreds of feet in the air in the distance. In a short break in the fire she managed to say. "It appears Allied Naval forces have begun launching orbital bombardments to dislodge Batarian defenses-"

Khalishah, and a number of marines with her had to cover their ears and eyes a moment later as dozens more orbital rounds impacted around them. A rapid bombardment that chewed up the scenery and send such a large amount of dirt into the air that it started to fall among the soldiers. The camera drone obviously taking a few hits from the falling clods before it crashed into the ground, its camera pointing upwards as the bombardment stopped and a ship with "FS Bombarder" emblazoned on the side came out of the dirt clouds barely more than a hundred meters above the battlefield. Turrets lining its bottom starting to blaze as cannon and machinegun fire raked toward presumably the remaining batarian positions, and over the audio commands to start advancing again could be heard before the feed cut entirely.

Returning to various news stations pundits and reporters began talking about what they had just seen. Some criticizing the military for what seemed to be sending in forces into a meatgrinder, or for using orbital bombardment. Others praised the Allied forces for continuing to fight, and the last images of FS Bombarder would start to circulate across the extra net only a few minutes later, turning into one of the most iconic images of the war then and there.

 **Unknown Location, 3 days after Aratoht ground invasion began**

Cynthia felt herself stir awake, her eyes still blurry and unfocused, and her vision oddly narrow. Trying to move her hands, or anything, she found herself unable to. She couldn't feel anything either.

 _Ohh god, it's a good thing I can't see, I don't want to know how bad it is._ She thought to herself, a moment before she heard a voice to her side.

The voice was obviously feminine, and had an accent, though it was a bit hard for her to make it out in her current state. "The damage is extensive, but nothing we can't work with. Not to mention she's come awake. She's definitely mentally tough enough."

"We're just lucky her squad managed to pull her free, otherwise she'd have died and gone to waste." Another voice to her other side, smooth and obviously a fair bit older added.

Then two figures entered her small field of vision. Darting between a young feminine figure with raven black hair. The woman couldn't be older than her. Meanwhile the man had closer cropped brown hair and skin that was somewhat worn with time, and his eyes seemed...wrong.

"She even has eye movement. You are quite a trooper Cynthia Shepard." Said the older man. "We'll have you back up on your feet and with your squad again soon enough."

"For now, just sleep Shepard. The surgeries will begin soon." The female added, and she saw her tapping at a nearby medical device, before her vision started to fade out and once again she was asleep. The last thought crossing her mind was that the female figure seemed almost too perfect to her foggy mind.

* * *

 **Codex Entry: The United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations**

 _"It's impossible to consider the United Kingdom without considering the Commonwealth of Nations, and vice versa. Anyone who does so is committing a grave error." -Évrard Poirier, French Politician 2060_

The United Kingdom has been a dominant power in human politics for hundreds of years as of this time. Initially creating a global colonial empire before the advent of space flight, the United Kingdom was generally considered the 'strongest' nation for much of this time. It was only during the early 1900s following The Great Trench War that its position of dominance began to be properly challenged. During this time frame, especially in the immediate period following the War, the United Kingdoms world wide empire began to fracture. Though most parts of the empire wanted to remain tied to the United Kingdom they still wished for independence. The result was the formation of the Commonwealth of Nations. The five 'Major' Members of the initial Commonwealth of Nations were Canada, India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Soon after more states including Egypt, Malaysia, Burma, and other former earthly states joined.

Originally the member states of the Commonwealth were independent of both the Kingdom and eachother, though the Treaty of Fredericton resulted in the Commonwealth becoming a more united entity of its own. While each state controls internal affairs, they act as a single political bloc externally. An integral part of the current Commonwealth's charter is to assist in the defense of the United Kingdom, and in return, the United Kingdom provides protection and political weight to the Commonwealths actions. Most recently the Commonwealth has also become the only human state to officially recognize aliens as full citizens.

The United Kingdom as it stands, especially with the back up of the Commonwealth of Nations is the single largest power once again. With multiple planets, to the point where even with the losses from Braun's War, they remain the power with the most colonies. Though the United States, Soviet Union, and Germany are all rapidly closing the gap, leading many to believe that while the space race gave the British Empire a new lease on life, it only delayed the inevitable fall to newer nations.

 **Codex Entry: The United States of America**

 _"_ _Since when have we Americans been expected to bow submissively to authority and speak with awe and reverence to those who represent us?" -William O. Douglas 1972_

The United States of America was once a colony of the United Kingdom, though it attained independence following an armed rebellion that ended in 1783. Since then the United States has consistently grown until it reached the point of competing for the title of the 'greatest' power. For a short period of time during the initial periods of the space race it was even considered such. Though since the resurgence of the United Kingdom the USA has fallen into a continuous second place, having to deal with Germany and the Soviet Union nipping at its heels. Operating as one of the only full republics in human space, a fact that the average american citizen is quite proud to comment on. During the 1950s and 1960s, race relations reached a boiling point though following the dissolution of Jim Crow laws, the Space Race and even more so the discovery of aliens, has more or less ended racial tensions within the United States. Similar to the Commonwealth, the United States is generally seen as one of the 'friendliest' nations to the Citadel Species. Its not unusual to see Citadel Species in American space, or vice versa, especially as many American corporations make significant profits operating trade lanes with the Citadel.

Militarily, the United States was the only nation to come out of The Great Space War with a larger navy then it started with, though following the war it allowed its lead to atrophy. Currently it stands on near equal parity with the fleet of the United Kingdom, though with significantly less colonies to cover. The United States ground forces have been heavily specialized, with the 'United States Army' serving as something closer to a Planetary Defense Force, and the 'United States Marines' being used for offensive operations.

The United States is also one of the two countries (along with the Commonwealth) to fully embrace the 'Homesteader' Policy. Allowing enterprising citizens to venture out and establish colonies of their own. While these homesteader colonies fall under US jurisdiction, many of them have drastically different local laws to account for their relatively unsupported law enforcement. This gives many people the idea that the average american colony is a lawless land along the lines of the old 'Wild West.'

 **STG Archive Entry Excerpts: Human Reproduction Habits**

 **STG Report Compiled 2080**

In response to the noted rapid human recovery from their 'Great Space War' (hereafter referred to as the XX Human War depending on the existence of any later Human Wars.) This report concludes that Human Reproduction habits may be one of the species greatest 'strengths.' Similar to Asari and Turians, Humans generally establish long lasting Male-Female reproductive pairs. The large difference comes in reproductive capability and social norms of an 'average family.' For sake of clarity for future readers. An Asari bonded pair may produce usually one through five children in a hundred year timescale, and children take decades to mature. Turians generally will produce a similar amount in a few decades. With the average Turian family having two to three children.

Human opinions on family size differ drastically based on if its a colonial or developed world, but most colonies consider ten to fifteen children to be an acceptable 'family.' Many countries even go so far as to impose either legal requirements (Soviet Union, most 'Axis' powers) or soft benefits (United States, Commonwealth of Nations, China) to having larger families. This appears in many ways to be a hold over from an era where human life expectancy was low, around that of Salarians, and child mortality rates were high. Even on developed worlds, its generally considered 'strange' to have families with less then three children, and in most cases its closer to five. In the cases of family pairs that are incapable of reproduction (either due to genetic disorder, physical damage, or male-male pairings (Post Compiling Note for clarification: Female-Female human pairs generally reproduce through artificial insemination)) are usually expected to adopt.

Given rapid advancements in medical fields to drastically reduce child mortality and childbirth related deaths, this has resulted in a significant population boom. This boom is seemingly only being driven further by the significant amounts of 'free space' that are available, as humans moved to reclaim damaged colonies and spread to new ones. Inaddition humans general disregard for the climate and generally inhospitable conditions of most worlds allows them a near unending upper bound of population.

Estimation: At current reproductive rates, humans will likely reach population parity with Big Three Citadel Races within the next century assuming they don't engage in another major war.

Threat Assessment: High, while not to the same extent as the pre-genophage Krogan, current Human reproductive rates are an inherent danger to the stability of Citadel Space.

Recommendation: Increase funding and resources of the Human Genophage project.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Well this took a bit longer then I would have liked to post but I wasn't quite able to finish it. On good news though. The next chapter is already completely written and likely will be out next week (or earlier depending on how I feel.) With the chapter after that already half written. The writing block I was going through for the past few months seems to have come to an end. I plan to end off Aratoht and the Batarian-Entente war with chapter 11 and we'll be on to the proper ME timeline events for Chapter 13.

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own Mass Effect, Space Battleship Yamato, or any other things I may reference knowingly or unknowingly in this story.

* * *

 **First Ones In: Aratoht, Outskirt Regions**

John Shepard took in a deep breath as his pod plummeted through the atmosphere of the Batarian world. Drop pod landings were used only in limited numbers, either to slip through radar undetected, or in this case, to get behind enemy lines quick. As it was a shuttle could have probably worked too given how much traffic was over Aratoht at the moment, but command hadn't wanted to risk it.

The sensation of falling from orbit was quite hard to describe. The closest relation was one of those drop rides at an amusement park. Yet even they didn't do the jostling and stomach churning trip justice. It didn't pass on the feeling of the pod's violent vibrations that made it seem like it would fall apart at any moment. It failed to convey the view of the friction fire at the windows as the plates on the bottom of the pod burned away in the atmosphere. The ride, all two minutes of it, gave him quite a panoramic view of the hundreds of ships in atmosphere. It also gave him just a brief window to watch the thousands of landing craft dropping through the atmosphere. Anti-air from the batarians sketched the skies and he saw shields flickering among the landers.

Then he hit the cloud layer and lost sight of everything, till he was just moments from touchdown. John got one last look at the local area before his pod slammed into the ground, his stomach feeling like it was thrown clear out of his body and his bones creaked. Then it settled. Quiet filling the air for a moment until with a crack the pod door jerked, and went nowhere.

"Bloody jams." Shepard growled. Bringing his foot up with a whir of machinery he kicked the door free. Stomping out of the pod he rolled his shoulders and patted down his suit. He could hear the light hum of the shield generator and strength boosters as he stepped forward. Pulling his HS Model 1 battle rifle from the pod he started forward. The contact was supposed to meet him around here.

-WoE-

Castis Vakarian was in a rather dour mood to say the least. The C-Sec captain had been on a routine case when some pyjak had slipped up behind him and knocked him out cold. The next thing he knew he was on a ship bound for batarian space. That had been two weeks ago.

Needless to say the experience turian wasn't going to take being a slave to a bunch of barely tolerated batarians laying down. As soon as he had been sold off to his would be owner he had started working on his escape. The batarians had almost made it too easy.

The only surprise had been when he had gotten a radio and beamed for help the only response came from a nearby human vessel which had given him these coordinates and the date.

Then came another surprise. News from human space travelled rather slowly to its Citadel equivalent, and while he had heard that the Batarians were launching raids into human space, what he was seeing today was not anything he thought was going to happen.

The skies had lit up with an invasion force he was fairly sure hadn't been seen since the Krogan Rebellions. It was impressive. The humans response was what he had wished the Citadel would do to the lawbreakers for years.

Didn't mean he had to like it though. It also didn't mean he didn't get a bit annoyed when a dozen or so feet from the rocks he was hiding behind a pod fell from the sky and kicked up enough dust to damn well near blind him.

He heard the whirring of machinery and a door falling free as the dust obscured his vision. When it finally faded Castis would actually get his first good sight of a human. The newest entries to galactic politics were a near mythical beast on the Citadel. They maintained embassies but in their own area of the station that they insisted was patrolled by their own guards.

The human was shorter than himself, but not by much, and he couldn't tell its gender. He had heard the humans were very close to eachother in appearance, and given the full body covering armour this one was wearing he doubted he'd be able to tell till he heard their voice.

"Human. Over here." He said with a twangy growl as he stepped out from the rock. The figure turned toward him and he had to admit the bright red visor that covered it's eyes, mixed with the rest of the armour, cut a rather intimidating figure.

The human ran over to him and said. "Vakarian?"

Low and rough, so this was a male then. The turian nodded. "Yes, you 'Trooper Shepard' then?"

"Good my translator didn't get damaged on the way down." The human nodded. "Well then I've been told you can lead me back into that city over there."

The human jerked a thumb toward the walled fort 'city' they were practically in the shadow of. Inside was thousands of batarian soldiers, and many more slaves that hadn't been able to escape like Vakarian had.

"Yes, though I figured they would be sending a larger force than just a single human." Vakarian replied with obvious skepticism. "They did understand the amount of work that will be involved correct?"

"Yeah I'm not here to get them out directly, that's those blokes job." Shepard replied and nodded toward the active invasion zone on the far side of the city. "They're having a rough job of it though it seems. Still I'm here to make it a bit easier on them."

"That was not what I was told." Vakarian growled. "I-"

"I know what you were told but this is all you're getting. The other forts don't have someone to sneak us in so they needed more manpower." Shepard started heading toward the walls. "Now are you going to show me in or am I going to have to do this myself?"

Vakarian thought about it for a minute, before clacking his mandibles together and sighing. "Fine. Follow me."

"Don't worry though, you've got SAS on your side. Those batarians won't know what hit'em." Vakarian got the feeling the human was smiling under his helmet. Though he was a bit surprised when the human hit the side of his pod and another rifle popped out. "Here take it, better to have two guns then one. We'll scrounge you up some armour as we go."

Well, maybe this could work out.

-WoE-

A batarian soldier was running ammo down one of the corridors of the fortress wall of Aratoht. The invasion alarms ringing out an annoying tone around him. The annoyance was cut off a moment later when an armoured fist shot out of one of the side rooms and sent the Batarian into an unconscious heap on the floor. Shepard stepped out of the side room and put a round through the Batarian's head.

"There you go. Take whatever gear that can fit and we'll move on." Shepard said to the turian behind him.

"Hmph, at least you're efficient." The turian looted the corpse, grabbing the batarian's shield belt.

Two more batarians rounded a corner down the hall and just as quickly they were dead. Shepard's gun had barked four times and knocked them both down. "By jove I love this new rifle. Now let's get moving."

The human rushed ahead, Vakarian keeping up behind him. Examining the rifle in his hands he had to scoff at the almost barbarity in it. The weapon was big and bulky compared to C-Sec's rifles, though it was even bigger than the ones he had heard the humans normally used. "What is this thing anyways."

"New gear, be happy you're one of the first to test it. 13mm semi-auto rifle." The human said back as the corridor they were in seemed to be empty now.

Definitely bulky then. Vakarian could swear that the humans were in a pissing contest over who could make larger caliber rifles. Still he couldn't argue with the effectiveness he had seen so far.

A batarian slipped out of a room between him and the human. Well honed instinct kicked in and a second later Vakarian depressed the trigger. At the range they were at the round punched through the Batarian's shield, armour, and torso. It also knocked Vakarian on his ass.

"Shoulda warned you about that recoil." Shepard turned back and pulled the turian to his feet. "It's meant to be used with an armoured suit like this. Comes with recoil dampeners and all that."

"Yes that would have been useful." Castis replied drolly. "It certainly works quite well but I'd still take a Vanguard any day."

The two continued along, Vakarian leading the way from the back as it were. Directing the better armoured human through the corridors till they found their destination. During his escape Castis had found a map of the fort, and just around the corner was the main defensive command room.

There was a squad of Batarians guarding the entrance, and undoubtedly many more inside.

"Heh, this'll be simple. Stand back." Shepard said quietly, pulling a grenade from his belt. It was a rather odd looking one though.

Tossing it around the corner the grenade slowed to a stop in midair, a side of it opening and a barrage of sub munitions blasting down the hallway. The veritable tide of rounds dropping the batarians shields and then the aliens themselves. The grenade sputtering out and dropping to the ground a moment later.

"Boys back in the lab'll be chuffed about their chaos grenades working." Shepard chuckled and turned the corner. "That'll certainly wake 'em up so let's get on it."

The batarians obviously hadn't been expecting an attack to actually reach this far, or they just cheaped out as the door opened as they came. The sliding panels revealing a room full of stunned batarians at screens. Including one in rather fancy garbs that was likely the local commander.

"Good day ya buggers, hope you're ready for some fun." Once again Vakarian could practically feel the smile radiating from the human.

The batarians never stood a chance.

-WoE-

"I get the feeling you are enjoying this." Vakarian replied as he worked at one of the terminals in the command room. Batarian corpses were littered everywhere while the human had pulled his helmet off and was currently smoking something. What it was Vakarian didn't know but the human said it was called a cigarette.

"And you aren't?" Shepard grinned. "These wankers have been kidnapping our settlers and like hell I won't make them pay for it. They deserve this. Might as well smile."

"Well there, the batarians should have no clue what they are doing now. I've sent out multiple automated retreat orders as well as 'stand fast' orders." Vakarian didn't reply to the question.

"Good, now let's go see about those slaves. The boys and girls'll need to know where to go afterall." Shepard replied, throwing the cigarette away and putting his helmet back on. The mechanical tinge in his voice returning. "Lead the way again Vakarian."

Setting the terminals to all crash Vakarian would grab the rifle he had been given and nodded. "Yes, this way. There shouldn't be many guards between us and them."

-WoE-

"Go go go!" The sergeant waved his hand forward to emphasize his words. "The slave pens should be just this way."

Past him a company of soldiers rushed through the streets of the Aratoht. Boots thudded and guns clacked as they ran. So far they had encountered no resistance, just dead batarians and signs of battle.

Ahead of them they could hear some more gunfire and that just made everyone redouble their efforts. The hundred or so men finding themselves in an enlarging path. A gate at the far end. The sounds coming from the far side.

"Get that gate open!"

Charges were laid, cover was taken, a plunger depressed. The gates blew open.

No enemy greeted them, though, for every Batarian had been gunned down.

A Turian and a black armoured human, laughing over a joke, looked their way. Large pens of unharmed humans and aliens filling the area.

The human turned to the collected marines and shouldered his rifle. "Hell, lads, you missed the party."

-WoE-

 **Illium May 3rd 2085**

"This is Khalisah Sinan al-Jilani bringing you news from the front." The TV blared in Eternity. The bar's patronage had skyrocketed as news started to come in once more. Aethyta was both happy at the extra business, and exasperated that the many krogan, turians, salarians and asari that were making bets on what the news would report. Not to mention the damaged chairs from a few krogan fighting before she managed to literally throw them out of the bar.

"Following heavy fighting at Landing Zone X-Ray, the marines have now advanced on Aratoht itself. Thanks to the efforts of special forces operators the fortress city was unprepared for combat compared to the landing area and the marines managed to push into the city with minimal casualties." The human woman seemed to be notably less on guard then before. Her helmet was still on her head but behind her human soldiers and tanks were rolling past the city gates. Many of the soldiers cheering to the camera at having survived past the landing area. Others were more solemn as they walked by.

"While fighting continues in many areas of the city one of the first places the soldiers pushed to were the slave holding pens. Once again thanks to special forces operators the area was already cleared of resistance and even now slaves, both human and alien, are being freed and cared to."

The camera panned to a collection of humans and aliens in rags being fed from cooking stations. Watching over them was a number of resting soldiers as well as one black clad and heavily armoured human, as well as an armed turian beside him.

-WoE-

 **Aratoht, outside the fortress city**

"Told you the lads would manage to get them out all safe." Shepard said to Vakarian. Given he was currently in the presence of a large amount of soldiers and aliens the human had elected to keep his helmet on.

"So you did." Vakarian looked over the huddled aliens. The humans had actually brought along some dextro amino food. "I'm amazed they brought provisions for turians and quarians."

"Of course we did. The colonials took in the Quarian fleet after all, probably a bunch of them at the other landing sites." Shepard chuckled. "Didn't think I'd ever fight alongside a turian, but you lot aren't bad when you're not on the other side of the rifle."

"Indeed. This was a rather enlightening encounter. Under better circumstances," Castis replied with a slight grin. "I would not mind fighting alongside you again in the future."

"Same Vakarian." Shepard offered a hand for Castis to shake, and unbenounced to them when the alien took it Khalisah's camera caught it all. A small symbol that maybe there could be some unity between the separate powers.

* * *

 **Codex Entry: The Third French Republic  
**

 _"The Third Republic has stood the test of time. Taking up the mantle during one crisis and surviving many more. It seems the French have finally had a stable government since the fall of the Ancien Régime ." ~_ _Braidy Hepburn, English Author 1972_

The Third French Republic, formed in the wake of the Franco-Prussian war in the 1870s, has managed to maintain a consistent string of governments all the way into the current era and remains in either 5th or 6th place among the great powers. It has not been a path without difficulties though. Early in the Third Republic's existence the system was characterized by a heavy divide between the political left and right. These divides reached a head in the later 1900s before eventually faded into a more measured centrism, though far right and far left parties remain and occasionally hold seats within the Republic. While the space race helped pull the country free of the 'malaise' that many believed it had been taken over, in recent years many worry it has returned. Following the Great Space War and the loss of multiple core territories to Germans politics have started to push toward the extremes once again. Revanchism runs high through the Republic and the country underwent a major rearmament and rebuilding campaign following the war.

During the war itself, the Republic fought valiantly, nobody could say otherwise. Unfortunately its equipment was not up to compete with its rivals. German vessels managed to breach through the Republic's primary defensive line. French vessels that hadn't been destroyed in the breach tended to be caught off guard which allowed the German forces to advance through multiple jumps before the French and British could rally up enough forces to hold the line once again. La Marche became a major battle ground where both nations threw ships into orbital battles for months on end. Even to this day the space above La Marche, and the planet itself, are being combed over and cleaned of the wrecks and battle scars.

The Republic currently stands at a tipping point, its dreams of reclaiming the lost lands risk throwing human space into another great war that will likely either see it triumphant or occupied entirely.

 **Codex Entry: Stages of a Human Colony**

Due to the layout of human space, by the time the Citadel encountered humanity the species had already become quite set in their ways when it came to colonies. A result of this is that Human colonial mentalities are drastically different than most Citadel species approach to the matter. Citadel Species, other then occasionally the Turians, usually take their time establishing colonies. Usually a Ctiadel species begins colonization by sending a large wave of automated drones. These drones would then prepare the planet and build infrastructure before the colonists arrival. Citadel colonies usually 'start' with hundreds of thousands or millions of colonists in one large push, occupying drone built and prepared cities. Human colonies meanwhile instead

The definition of a colony also varies. For example Illium still stands as a 'colony' of the Asari at approximately 50 million settlers. For a human world this would classify as a 'middle ring' world. The average human colony has under 1 million settlers, with many having populations in the hundreds or thousands. This is partially why human space appears extremely large on galactic maps, as most human colonies are very sparsely populated. Part of this is that humanity relies on regular and rapid pulses of colonists and human laws allowing the original colonists to a world to effectively have ownership over the entire planet. The opportunity to have literally a large percentage of a planet to later sell to incoming business is a very large draw for down on their luck humans.

Humanity's general disregard for the conditions of many planets results in drastically different lifestyles among the colonies. In general the first colonists on most worlds live a surprisingly sparse life. Amenities are rare and usually they are expected to provide for themselves, or trade with nearby colonies. Few if any support is given from the various governments other then at best a transport ship and monetary benefits. The Soviet Union is the only nation to avert this as colonies are controlled centrally by the government directly from inception.

The results of leaving colonists to fend for themselves means that most early colonies are heavily agrarian, and Rye and Barely have become some of the most extensively cultivated crops in the galaxy. Large families are the norm and mortality rates can be high depending on local weather and fauna. In Commonwealth and some American colonies it is not unusual to see Krogans hired to assist in protection from local dangerous wildlife. Even with this, failed colonies are not unusual, and usually old failed colonies are taken over by the next waves of colonists, using the existing infrastructure to reduce their workloads.

Once the colony begins growing and developing cities, life becomes similar to that seen in many citadel worlds. In general humanity seems to disfavor the single large 'hive' style cities that dominate Citadel worlds. Usually modern human colonies begin by developing a single few thousand person city before starting to establish secondary population centers. Even the most extensively populated human worlds usually have populations under 2 billion and are relatively spread out. Whenever planetary populations start to reach approximately 100 million it is common to see large emigration waves begin to form as young humans look for new opportunities. Currently human space has stopped growing to new planets for the most part, and colonial waves are building up the outer rim colonies instead. It is unknown how long this period will last until population pressures spread them out further.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** For once on time here comes the next chapter. There won't be another for two weeks or so (at least till after the 19th of April as I will be on vacation) but Chapter 11 is already written and just undergoing edits. That chapter will be the last Aratoht chapter, and Chapter 12's interlude will be the last before we hit ME:WoE's version of the ME timeline. This chapter is shorter but to make up for it the next chapter is going to be the longest in a while. As always like, love, see an error or something you want to point out? Leave a Review! I read them all.

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own Mass Effect, Space Battleship Yamato, or any other things I may reference knowingly or unknowingly in this story.

* * *

 **High In the Sky: Above Aratoht**

"Batarian bunker line, four hundred meters at seven degrees, Pilot Moreau." A mechanical, feminine, voice droned in French through the cockpit. "Anti-aircraft sites are targeting us."

"I can see that EDI!" Shouted the pilot in the same language. Rolling the large, not quite spacecraft, not quite aircraft to avoid a burst of heavy mass effect rounds that cut through the air. "Albin, hit that nest."

"Working on it." Came a voice over the intercom a moment before Pilot Moreau, AKA, "Plaisantin," AKA, "Joker," heard the whirring of one of the 40mm MEA Gatling Cannons revving up and spraying the position ahead of them. Dust and debris filled the air as the rounds struck home.

"120mm firing." Came another voice, one of Joker's other gunners. The whole craft shaking around him as it started to belt out round after round. Explosions engulfed the bunkers and hid the line from sight.

Not from EDI though.

"I am lighting up targets on your heads up displays." The AI replied and the remaining bunkers appeared in red outlines before Joker's vision.

"We can remember where the things are just fine, rustbucket." Joker grumbled.

"That is statistically unlikely Pilot Moreau. You and the gunners have had less than ten seconds of view on the bunkers."

"What have I told you about using statistics EDI?"

"Your belief that statistics do not apply to you is poorly founded, Pilot Moreau."

"Yeah, and so are you."

"I do not have foundations, Pilot Moreau."

"Would you two shut up already?" Albin's voice came over the intercom again. "I can barely hear my own gun firing."

"That is physically-" EDI started.

"EDI, combat data only." Joker cut the AI off. The predetermined command shutting the robot up other then to point out targets. He had the distinct feeling the glowing and blinking symbol, a circle with a double line running through it, on a nearby monitor was mad at him.

"Got to love a pilot that loses an argument with his own ship." Another of his gunners, a man named Claude grumbled. "Still, looks like that's the last of the bunkers. Let's get to the next LZ."

"Yeah yeah, hold your horses. I figured these Batarians would put up a bit more resistance in the air then this though. They certainly seem to be giving those ground pounders a lot of work." Geoffrey said as he revved up the engines again and launched them forward.

The Bombardier class, all two of them, were odd ducks. Most in the pilot corp joked it was just a really big and heavily armed shuttle, and they weren't exactly wrong. It certainly was big and averted the typical human spacecraft appearance. Instead it bore more of a resemblance to a mono-wing plane. A noticeably long wingspan and a fat belly, gave room for the many turrets it bore. The bloated thing would have been a complete sitting duck if it wasn't for the shield generators. The generators and capable pilots.

For the ability to deliver heavy firepower with pinpoint precision there really was little better though. Gunships were even more useful when there was infantry nearby that made orbital bombardments difficult.

"We have incoming." Donatien, the rear gunner declared, "Three Batarian interceptors. Look lively gunners."

Joker glanced at the screen showing the rear gunner's view, seeing the three craft. Ugly looking things, even in comparison to the Bombardier. He didn't care for the looks but he saw the missiles lining their wings.

"Missile lock." EDI's voice intoned. "Three launches."

"Right, get working guys." Joker immediately threw the large craft into evasive maneuvers. The mass effect engine inside the semi-spacecraft allowing maneuvers a normal attacker couldn't. The multiple defensive gun turrets, gyroscopically stabilized, began pouring out a steady stream of fire toward the interceptors.

The missiles closed in, even as one of the Batarian craft went down in a ball of fire. Joker waited for the last moment before throwing another hard maneuver and slammed back the throttle. The missiles passed just under the craft and rocketed ahead, where they detonated.

"Two more launches." EDI continued. "Four more launches. All missiles are in the air."

Six missiles chasing after him. "Well, he thought, "if anything, that just made this easier."

A smile came to his face as Joker calmly stated, "Hold on to your hats this is going to get testy."

He felt his flight suit inflate as he pulled the plane into a hard climb and loop. Blood trying to rush to his feet only to be held in place, his bones creaking at the sensations as the missiles followed him up.

"Missile one lost. Missile two through six impact in ten seconds."

"They're getting real close back here!" Donatien's voice filled with worry, born of being the closest to the incoming death.

"Come on you rustbucket. EDI, war emergency power!" The controls felt lighter and the engine sparked brighter as the core was pushed beyond 100%. The craft rolled over and dived back toward the ground right past the two interceptor craft.

Which put them between the Bombardier and the missiles.

"Missiles impacted on enemy fighters." EDI chimed.

"Damn good work Joker!" Albin and the rest of the crew cheered.

EDI cut into the cheers. "The 7th Canadian are requesting fire support. They have breached one of the Batarian fortress cities.

Joker frowned as he pulled the craft around to the new heading. "Spoiling my moment of glory, you uppity computer."

"It is part of my programming to ensure my pilot does not get too full of themself." The machine replied.

Joker was about to reply, when he heard every single one of his gunners give a very telling 'cough' into the intercom near simultaneously. "Traitors, all of them," He muttered.

As they approached the fort, the anti-air fire started to intensify. Shells filled the air and sparking off the Bombardier's shields.

"Merde! What kind of hot zone are they calling us into?" Joker groused, trying to avoid the incoming fire.

EDI's avatar lit up. "Heavy SAM batteries preparing to fire."

"Targeting." Came the voice of his 120mm gunner. Launched down the cannon's barrel by a half-half mix of chemical propellant, accelerated by Mass Effect enhanced magnetic rails, the large high-explosive shells impacted among the enemies Surface-to-Air-Missile defenses. The very expensive and complicated missile turrets were, in the space of a very few seconds, separated into many small pieces of wreckage and shrapnel, spread out over a very large area.

"Multiple targets. Ground forces are also using beacons to light up hotspots." EDI started marking targets throughout the city below. Tanks, infantry, fortified houses, all of them lighting up for the gunners. "Avoid any fire toward these locations. It is believed they may contain slave holding pens." Other areas appeared on-screen, marked blue on all their HUDs.

"Fire at will boys! I'll keep us airborne." Joker grinned as he threw the craft away from another burst of anti-air fire.

-WoE-

 **In Orbit above Aratoht**

The FS Bombardier latched to its docking bay aboard the French Assault Carrier FS _Joan of Arc._ The magnetic clamps held it in place as the doors to the bay sealed and it were re-pressurized.

Joker leaned back in his chair as the craft shut down around him. "And there we go. Another flight where we all get back alive. Let's make sure we get the maintenance boys to paint on some kill markers."

"That's three so far, don't get cocky." Donatein said, the sounds of the old man shuffling out of his gunner seat audible through the intercom. "But good work anyways, boy."

"Heh you're welcome old man. Now get out of here before you get too stiff to move." Joker checked over the screens. The pilot calmy watched, as the rest of the crew left.

"Pilot Moreau you should consider leaving the flightcraft as well. The crew cafeteria is serving cordon bleu." EDI's avatar popped up onto his main screen. The bisected circle glowing a pale blue as a small wave passed around its edges.

"Yeah yeah, thanks mom." Joker chuckled to himself. "Just giving my tired bones a chance to get back into place first."

"I have warned you during past interactions about excessive maneuvering Pilot Moreau."

"Again, _thanks mom._ " Joker scoffed. "If I hadn't done that, there's a high chance we'd currently be scattered halfway across the planet."

"Judging by the size and payload of those missiles, anything short of a drive core explosion is highly unlikely-"

"EDI."

The AI went quiet for a minute. Joker raising an eyebrow at actually managing to get EDI to stop talking for a few minutes. He wondered if he really had pissed it off this time.

Finally EDI broke the silence. "Do you require assistance to enter your wheelchair, Pilot Moreau?"

"Yeah I don't think I'm getting up myself today." Geoffrey sighed, half in relief, the rest out of exhaustion.

"Then please remain still." A number of robotic arms unfolded from the piloting seat. The man's wheelchair was pulled from where it was secured on the wall. A few deft movements later, the pilot was in his wheelchair.

"Please do not unduly stress yourself Pilot Moreau. We have further missions tomorrow." EDI said her parting comment as Joker rolled his way out of the ship and onto the carrier.

-WoE-

 **Pilot's Mess, FS** _ **Joan of Arc**_

Joker rolled into the rather bustling mess hall. An assault carrier like the Joan carried an extensive complement of ground attack bombers and fighters. This one also carried two heavy support vessels. One was his Bombardier and the other was it's sister ship FS Grenadier.

The result was that the two gunship pilots stood out like a sore thumb from the dozens of others. Add into that Joker's Vrolik Syndrome and his _charming_ personality and he stuck out even more. Glares from a few bomber pilots came his way. The fighter pilots were ambivalent to him.

Wheeling up to the serving line he got his food and started to eat. He didn't intend to hang around long. The bomber pilots saw the gunship pilots as both glory hogs and people without enough balls and skill to make it flying one of the smaller craft. As far as Geoffrey was concerned the bomber pilots were people with absolutely no career path. Not that he really _cared_ about career. At least his job though would let him move up to a frigate later.

The food was good at least. It was one of the real advantages of piloting. The food and that he could do it all from a chair. His large ship position and physical situation had gotten him one other advantage though. Himself and the Bombardier were a prototyping platform for AI assisted piloting. The gunship was one of three ships in the French Navy undergoing the secret testing.

Too bad that had gotten him EDI. The rudimentary AI was stifling at times, but he couldn't argue it wasn't useful. Now if only it had an actual personality. Apparently the eggheads were working on that one still.

He half wondered how any of those Commonwealth Quarians would react if they figured they were doing this. Not that the French government cared. The Citadel had banned AI but humanity wasn't going to let a little thing like their neighbours being scared of something stop them.

That and from what he heard the Quarians really reacted poorly to the idea of AI having sentience. He didn't really get why they cared so much about it. EDI hadn't asked anything like that yet but he figured it'd be a matter of time.

He was brought out of his musing when he realized his plate was empty. Blinking to wake himself up a bit he pushed off from the table. Leaving his plate in the cleaning bin he'd head out into the hall again.

Letting out a yawn the pilot wheeled himself back to his ship. He could have gone to the pilot barracks but honestly his chair was comfier.

"Welcome back Pilot Moreau, I hope you've satisfied your required calorie intake." EDI greeted him as he came aboard.

Joker scoffed. "Of course I did. Now help me back into my chair. I'm going to sleep here for the night."

"Sleeping in a chair is shown to have negative health effects Pilot Moreau."

"And falling off my bed when I wake up is going to have even more."

The AI paused for a minute "...That is a statistical probability."

"Hah, pulled one over on the AI. Doubt any of the gunners will believe me." Joker chuckled to himself as the AI helped him back into his piloting chair. Slipping on a pair of headphones the pilot put on some music before drifting off to sleep.

-WoE-

 **Unknown Location, 10 days after Aratoht Landing**

Wrex had been expecting something else when he had decided to hitch a ride into human space and offer his services. The old warrior had expected he'd end up on a battlefield somewhere. He didn't expect he'd end up in a lab.

He wasn't under the needle himself so it wasn't all bad. It was just boring. Extremely, extremely boring. Except for one thing.

"Haven't seen a recovery like that in a long time." Wrex's voice came like stones scraping together. "Good even for a krogan."

"Well your contribution to the project certainly helped. Your kinds DNA is fascinating." The black haired woman beside him said as she looked at the reports. "We've modified her with the healing properties of a krogan and a few other things. Between that and her new skeleton she should be waking up shortly."

"Tough one. I'm amazed she survived all that you did to her. Even before that injection. I look forward to getting to fight with her."

"We would like to give her a day to adjust, but the Batarians are putting up more resistance than expected ground side. You'll get your chance." Came a third voice. The oily one with the wrong eyes. The head of this little project. "Now let's see how our marine feels. Wake her up."

"Yes sir." The black haired woman replied. Waking Shepard up now wouldn't make much of a difference. Moving over to a console she started typing commands.

Wrex watched as the redheaded woman jumped awake. The woman rocketing to a seated position. "What, where?"

"Welcome back to the land of the living Private Shepard," The oily one said. "Please if you would come with me and my assistant. We have many things to discuss."

The woman blinked, and then frowned. "What do you mean? And what happened to my squad? And why is there a Krogan here."

"All in good time Shepard. Just know for now you have been selected for a top secret U.S. project. Please try standing up." The man said again.

Shepard didn't seem convinced, but shifted off the medical chair. "I don't feel right."

"I will explain that to you in the briefing room. Please it will save us significant amounts of time if you hold your questions till then."

The woman paused again, before nodding. The human having to walk past Wrex on the way. The krogan decided to have a bit of...fun. He knew how to be imposing, centuries of practice helped. He put it all into his stance as Shepard walked by, and the human just glared back at him with eyes like sharpened steel.

Then she was past and the three humans left the room. The krogan laughed, the short noises echoing through the room. "Yes this will certainly be worth a story."

* * *

 **STG Retrieved Data Archive Excerpts: Projet** **Merlin**  
 _Note: Translated from Metropolitan French 2092, actual date most likely multiple periods over 2084_

Professor Page: I am pleased to report that Project Merlin is coming along better then expected. E.D.I. and C.D.C. are coming along rapidly. S.L.D. is taking more time then expected but is also improving. Morality lessons have begun for the former. We believe the lessons should be completed by next year. All three have shown excellent abilities in their fields. We have also begun Linked Pilot selection from all candidates both recruits and seasoned.

-STG-

Professor Page: Linked Pilot selection has been completed. E.D.I. has selected Pilot Moreau ( _Note: Relatively new pilot, assigned to Gunship Bombardier in 2083_ ), C.D.C. selected Admiral Pierre( _Note: Flagship in 2083 was FS Alsace_ ), S.L.D. picked Navigator Charbonneau ( _Note: Unknown person, no records of either the rank 'Navigator' or anyone of that name in the French Navy at the time. Possible Civilian Vessel operator_ ). We have begun integration with their respective vessels with the intention of starting trials early next year.

-STG-

Professor Page: Trials have begun, E.D.I. and C.D.C. have settled in well. S.L.D. and Navigator Charbonneau had some initial troubles but appear to have worked beyond them. Pilot Moreau both reports E.D.I. is 'annoying' but did not appear to mean it seriously. I posit there is a possibility that E.D.I. may be deliberately antagonizing him to an extent. S.L.D. also appears to be developing a proper personality faster then expected as well. It is truly exciting.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** Welp, this ended up falling behind. My vacation to europe was fun, though I came back and was promptly dumped into a 50+ hour work week for the last few weeks. This chapters been done but I wanted the next chapter to be in some sort of okay situation before I posted this one. Just a general 'jist' of what some people might ask as we go on. Due to the timeline shift and everything else. I've decided that while the Humans are 'in time' with Canon mass effect, the aliens are not. So Wrex is 100 years younger. Mordin and Tali haven't been born yet. Garrus is currently up in the air if I'll have him join as I've kinda already put Cestus in so Garrus 'should' likely be around. As a result the alien cast will for the most part be different then the canon crew. Sorry if this is disappointing to anyone but given how drastically different the timeline is I didn't think having the full team show up would make much sense. As always though, feel free to leave a review if you like, dislike, or have a comment to make on the current chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** Still don't own Mass Effect

* * *

 **Unknown Location, 10 days after Aratoht Landing**

Cynthia Shepard still didn't know just where the hell she was, though judging by the symbolism on the walls and what she had seen, it was at least a proper entente group. At the same time though everything about it screamed, off. The facility was low staffed. The guards were heavily armed.

The most off putting thing was the man before her though. He seemed normal, but there was an air about him. He couldn't be entirely trusted, or he wasn't entirely right. She wasn't sure which.

"Sit down Shepard, we have much to discuss." The man said as he led her and the black haired woman into an office. It was most likely his, and he took a seat himself at the desk.

Shepard paused for a moment, before deciding to sit. She didn't fail to notice that the chair creaked below her as she sat though. The marine also didn't fail to notice the dark haired woman taking notes.

"I'm sure you have many questions but please, allow me to explain and hopefully I will answer them." The man turned his computer monitor to face her. "First, my name is Jack Harper. My assistant is Miranda Lawson. We are the two head members of the 1:26 Organization. We operate as a joint program between the United States and the Commonwealth of Nations."

Cynthia was going to say 'I've never heard of you' but she quickly realized that would be rather stupid. Of course she hadn't heard of them. She was just a private and she doubted this was a public organization.

"Indeed, we're a well kept secret." Harper had a small grin. "I could see it in your face. We have been tasked to explore means to...develop humanity."

"You are our first test." Miranda commented. "We aren't the Axis, we weren't going to run the test till we were sure it would work."

"And what was the test?" Cynthia started. "Last thing I remember was an explosion. Did my squad make it out okay?"

"Yes, the members of your squad that were with you at the time all made it back alive. They and your unit have since been rotated back onto a rest leave following the X-Ray landings." Miranda flipped through a table to check the information.

Harper rested his elbows on the table and folded his hands together. "As for the test. It was to create a stronger human."

"More specifically we have enhanced you to be a functional super soldier. Enhanced strength, durability, regeneration. Though unfortunately we do not believe we'll be able to mass produce the procedure we used on." Miranda added. "You have a remarkably hardy natural constitution, it was likely why you survived the explosion in the first place."

"...Run that by me again?" Shepard said with a stunned expression. "Just what kind of state did I arrive in?"

"Extremely poor, it was only thanks to your squad and one of our operatives being at the shuttle that you were not left for dead." Harper started. "If you want specifics."

The screen started to display information.

"Left arm severed below the elbow, right leg severed mid thigh, left leg-" Jack started, the list going on and on. By the point they got to a collapsed lung, after mentioning near every single rib had been broken, Shepard's eyes were wide. The young soldier unsure how even she had survived.

"Needless to say Shepard, the odds that you even survived to make it to our care were astronomically low." Harper switched the screen to displaying new information. "We began surgery and treatment immediately upon your arrival."

"You may have noticed a few things by now." Miranda spoke up. "First off your body density has increased significantly."

That was likely the source of the groaning chair below her.

"Second you should be feeling significantly stronger."

Her strides had felt like she was pushing off much harder than before.

"Both of these were actually a side effect of the initial part of the procedure. Due to the extensive damage we needed to replace much of your body with cybernetics. We managed to salvage your spine and skull, though both have been reinforced with a polymer shell. Your limbs are almost entirely cybernetic, this is the source of much of your new weight."

"But…" Her body felt too real. Shepard pinched herself and winced in pain. "If they were cybernetics why can I feel everything so well."

"Your _bones_ are cybernetic Shepard." Harper cut back in. "Everything else about you is...natural. Enhanced, but natural."

The marine leaned forward to try to read the screen better. Though she didn't really need to but it was something to do. "But why then would I be stronger. I get tougher but my muscles should be the same right?"

"In normal circumstances yes. This leads into the second stage of your procedure. The genetic overwrites." The only man in the room continued. "We have modified your DNA based on both our own research, and krogan DNA patterns given to us by our...volunteer you saw already."

"I was wondering why there was a krogan here." Shepard leaned back.

"As much as I am loath to admit it, it is thanks to his contribution that you are likely still alive following all the changes." Harper scowled a bit at the thought. "It is also most of the explanation as to your changes. The serum not only rebuilt your body, using the cybernetic skeleton as a base, but improved it."

"Faster, more efficient nerve networks, denser and stronger muscles, 'hardened' skin that is able to resist elements. You've even gained a new organ that appears to be specifically design to overload your system with specialized adrenaline when needed." Miranda took over again. "It is highly likely with a bit of time you could punch your way through a bulkhead now. Not that I would recommend you try it."

"And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'" Shepard half whispered to herself. "That's what your name is?"

"Indeed. We improve his work as it were." The man said with a proud air to his voice.

A minute of silences hung in the air after.

"You know, all this _sounds_ like good news." Shepard worried at her lip. "So where is the bad news?"

Miranda sighed, "We have no idea what the extended effects will be. We only planned for enhanced regeneration and a mild strength boost from the cybernetics. The rest of the changes almost appear to be the serum evolving on itself."

Harper, meanwhile, tried to keep his expression neutral, but his brow almost betrayed a scowl at the thought. He hated the unexpected. He held his expression only by sheer force of will.

"I...see?" Shepard was reeling at the moment from the information.

"We would like to give you more time to process this Shepard." Harper spoke again, not sounding like he really felt any of the emotions his words seemed to attempt to convey. "But unfortunately, those in charge of our funding have been...insistent about us given them some proof of concept. We have already arranged for a team to accompany you back to Aratoht, where you will be part of a spearhead to remove the Batarians from their final fortress.

"Once more into the breach? Hope it goes a damn sight better than the first time."

"Miranda will lead you to the others."

Shepard knew a dismissal when she heard one, and stood up. The chair appreciating the weight being lifted from it and the two women stepped outside. The door closing a moment later.

"I know this is sudden Shepard, but you will have time to adjust after the mission. For now I will also be a member of your team, and will be ensuring there are no complications with your modifications. If you experience any please inform me immediately." Miranda said matter of factly. Her tone harboured a 'deal with it and listen' attitude. "Now follow me."

It was likely due to just how fresh out of basic the woman was that she didn't snap back, but Shepard was actually surprised at as a roiling bubble of annoyance threatened to come to the surface. Vitriol wanting to lash out at the person who presumed they could be giving her orders. Just as quickly as it came through it was gone.

-WoE-

A krogan, a human and a quarian are sitting in a room waiting for two other humans. It might sound like the start of a joke, but it was actually a recipe for a not insignificant amount of awkward silence.

It didn't help the Krogan was Wrex, who already wasn't very talkative.

So when the the two they were waiting for finally showed up the black armoured human couldn't help but let out a relieved. "'Bout bloody time."

Which was quickly followed by. "Blimey, _another_ shrimp?"

"Go fuck yourself." Shot out from Cynthia before she could catch it.

"Heh" Wrex let out a single bark of laughter. "I'd watch yourself human. She was just a torso a few days ago."

"Ahh, this is the 'project test' I'm here to observe then?" The human raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Miranda stepped forward to put herself between the two other humans. "Cynthia, this is John Shepard. John meet Cynthia Shepard, or as you were likely informed 'Test Case 001.'"

"Bugger, that's going to make short calls awkward." John said, though he actually seemed to be chuckling a bit at the oddity. "Might as well just stick with firsts then."

"Guess so." Cynthia meanwhile, was still frowning. "What's with the Brit? I thought this was Commonwealth and American?"

"The Commonwealth doesn't do much without Imperial approval. That includes secret projects." John's grin just grew a bit bigger. "Didn't think I'd be babysitting a pair of shrimps with a toad though."

It was only because John took a step back that kept Cynthia from potentially tossing the man. "Don't blame me for a bad draw girl, gotta learn to laugh at yourself."

A sudden biotic hold kept them both in place, and Miranda's glare alternated between the two. "Are you two ready to stop acting like children?"

A pair of nods later. "Okay then let's continue. Cynthia is United States Marines, John is Special Air Service, he'll actually be leading this mission."

Cynthia blinked. "Special forces? No wonder you're such a pain in the ass."

"Guilty as charged. They drill half the fun out of you boots." John chuckled and went back to his seat when Miranda released the biotics.

"Next is Wrex, you already met him." Miranda directed to the krogan.

"Shepard." The alien grunted, only his attention telling which one he was referring to.

Cynthia had not actually seen a krogan up close until she had woken up and had to pass him. The towering bulk of scales and leathery hide _should_ have been intimidating, but it wasn't. Instead it almost seemed to get her hackles raised. She couldn't quite nail down the feeling.

Seeing the conversation there wasn't going any further, Miranda turned Cynthia's attention to the last member of the group. First though she clarified. "Wrex is well, a krogan, he will be providing heavy support for the unit. Lastly we have Loha'Zorah nar Iridi."

"Hello?" Came a steady, yet slightly nervous voice from the suited alien. "Any chance you would let me get a look at your cybernetics?"

"Loha'Zorah is the teams technical expert-" Miranda started before the quarian interrupted.

"-I can do more then that. I can fight too."

Cynthia couldn't help but grin a little bit at the reaction, and she heard John chuckling from nearby. The modified human saying. "Of course you can. I doubt these guys would have brought you here if you couldn't."

"Indeed, and then there is myself. I will be providing biotic support for the team." Miranda finished. "We will be briefed on the way. Please follow me to the armoury Cynthia. The rest of you please meet us at the shuttle."

-WoE-

 **Aratoht, Fortress** _ **Reth**_ **Beachhead** _ **,**_ **10 days after initial landings.**

Gunfire was a near constant at the Reth Beachhead. British marines had managed to secure the route into the fortress as early as the second day of the landings, but had been unable to push further.

Unfortunately resistance had only gotten worse with each passing day. The batarians utilized underground tunnel networks to withdraw their forces back toward the Fortress as each other strong point fell to the humans.

Those tunnels would be the forts downfall though.

"The next section of tunnel is where we'll likely start running into resistance." Miranda informed the group. "The batarians have decided to hold relatively far back to make it harder for sappers to get around them. Given how easy it is to defend these tunnels they won't be expecting a frontal assault."

"They'll bloody well be prepared for it though." John's voice carried its mechanical tinge once more. "And that's where you'll come in."

He looked over at Cynthia. The other Shepard was armoured to the gunnels. She almost looked like a knight, or a riot control officer.

It really helped that she was also equipped with a large strange looking projector on her left arm, and a pistol in the other. The projector concentrating what would normally be a full body set of shields into a large wall.

Then just to make it even tougher and to shore up the shields on the rest of the body, the suit had a large generator on its back.

"Does the suit really need to give me a hump back to?" Cynthia complained. "How much like a krogan do I need to look like before you're satisfied."

"An unfortunate side effect of making the suit powerful enough to weather frontal assaults." Miranda offered. "You are also the only human here strong enough to move it without being slowed to a crawl."

"It honestly...feels lighter than my equipment as a marine." Cynthia admitted. "It's a bit surprising."

"Less talking, more fighting." Wrex grumbled. Meanwhile Loha remained silent, fiddling with her omni-tool.

"Right. Well, stay behind me and try to keep up then." Cynthia fired up her shield generator. The large wall of shimmering blue light appearing before she started to turned into the tunnel proper. Starting off with a slow jog while the rest fell in behind her.

A minute down the tunnel they spotted the Batarian positions far ahead, and in turn were spotted. A storm of bullets rushing town the path toward them and flickering off her shield. The walls around them chipped and cracked as the incredibly small rounds rebounded and crashed into them.

"The shields working at least." Cynthia said as she picked up the pace. The width of the arm mounted shield blocking up the narrow tunnel near entirely. Yet, as she saw the rounds impacting it, and the batarians at the end of the tunnel...She wanted to go faster. To get right up to them…

"Let me give them a bit of a surprise. I have been wanting to try this." Came Loha's voice, barely able to be heard over the din of fire. A moment later an orange ball appeared among the batarian defenders and started shocking them with a short range arc gun. The flow of fire slacked off for long enough for the group to reach the sandbag position the Batarians had set up.

If a certain talking drink container could be present, he'd have given Cynthia's barreling through the sandbag wall a 'Oooh yeah.' The fast moving human in the shell of a steel plated behemoth blowing through the sandbags, and an unlucky Batarian in the way, like they were nothing.

Stepping over the mangled corpse of a poor bastard that had gotten in her way, Cynthia would keep moving forward. The rest of the team having cleared out the remaining batarians at the checkpoint in a hail of gunfire.

She could get used to this feeling. Like an unstoppable juggernaut. It almost made her want to laugh. Especially when there was a door in their way at the end of the hallway. An armoured thing but well, so was she.

The door blew off its hinges as they broke into the room beyond. Milling batarians looking completely baffled by the short behemoth that had just come through the door. As well as the crew of humans and aliens behind them.

The momentary pause ended when John's rifle barked and a batarian was blown back from the impact. Miranda's biotics and a flaming ball shot out from Loha, an explosion ringing out as the two collided and took out a number of batarians in a wave of fire and biotics.

Finally there was Wrex and Cynthia. The krogan's shotgun barked, and Cynthia's pistol finally got to see some use. The Judge was a civilian sector pistol. Normally it was something more to show off, or for idiots. That was because the large pistol fired a .65 cartridge, or a 17 gauge shotgun round. For the average human the wrist breaking pistol needed two hands and a very proper position to not harm yourself. For Cynthia she could fire the Judge one handed without significant issue.

Currently loaded with pistol cartridges, the pistol easily joined in with the others in downing the scattered and confused batarians.

Still the confusion didn't last long, and there was a not insignificant amount of batarians in the room. The aliens finally diving into cover, kicking over heavy tables or hiding behind pillars. The increasing volume of return fire forcing the squad into cover themselves.

"We've stumbled into a pyjack nest Shepard." Wrex grumbled. "Hope you have a plan."

"I always have a plan." Came John's reply as he fired around the pillar, hitting a Batarian with barely a glance. "I just haven't thought it up yet. Actually scratch that, I've got one. Zorah can you do that drone again?"

"Of course I can when I am not the target of near every enemy out there." Loha's voice came from behind a heavy metal crate, the combat engineer not exactly able to move due to the volume of fire pouring against it. "Where?"

"Don't worry just need a peek and you'll be fine. Put it on the biggest cluster of the buggers on my mark. Miranda when I call it use your biotics to throw this just above the drone." John pulled out a cluster of grenades and handed them to Miranda. "Then every keep your heads down."

John waited for a momentary pause in the fire. "Mark."

Loha'Zorah peeped out just enough to launch the drone, pulling the batarians attention a moment before the grenade belt was biotically launched above the drone. All the chaos grenades on the belt already activated.

The sheer hail of submunitions that poured out from the grenades flooded the room, dwarfing all the fire that the batarians and Shepard's team had been able to put out combined. Cynthia felt her pillar of cover being eroded by the amount of rounds hitting it as the grenades sprayed in every direction. Then the hail of fire stopped and the grenades crashed to the floor.

"A little warning next time you dumbass!" Cynthia popped out of cover to find the batarians more or less entirely annihilated by the grenade cluster. "Never seen anything like those before."

"SAS special issue, unfortunately that was all the ones I brought so we won't be able to do that again." John came out of cover and started to check to make sure the Batarians were actually dead, his gun sweeping before him. "Everyone alright?"

"Alive, though yes, some warning next time." Miranda voice was as dry as a desert.

Wrex meanwhile just chuckled again. "Hah, what a show. Think I could get some of those Shepard?"

"Hmm, that was an interesting tactic." Loha'Zorah poked up from behind her cover. "Think I could get some of those grenades? I would...love to break one open. Preferably in a way that is much less loud."

"Bunch of babies, the lot of you." John seemed to be laughing to. "Cept Wrex, he's got goolies."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "All the better to kick and I think I might just send them up into your ears."

"Children, let's keep moving." Miranda herded the groups minds back onto task.

-WoE-

After the room things were quiet again for a bit. The team managing to get up to the surface without further contact. The surface itself though was another matter entirely.

"You'd think they would have thrown something bigger at us by now." Cynthia said as she kicked aside another fallen batarian soldier that was blocking the door that would lead them closer to the command center. "Instead of just throwing these infantry squads into the grinder."

"Most likely their heavy equipment got left when they ran. Though I must admit I was hoping for something more interesting." Loha offered from the rear of the group. The alien was starting to wonder if she really had been needed on this mission. The batarians didn't seem to have much tech worth a damn and the rest of the squad seemed to have the combat well in hand. Outside of a few uses of her drones she hadn't contributed much.

"Idiots," John said, a moment before the door opened and revealed a wide open warehouse "Don't ya know when you say something like that it's when everything goes shite."

It also revealed a quartet of heavily armed YMIR mechs. The miniguns attached to the heavy drones arms spooling up and blasting away as the group dove into cover.

"Just had to help bloody Sod's Law along didn't you?" John complained as a rocket smashed into the ground ahead of the heavy duty crates that were the only cover in the area.

"At least the batarians were nice enough to leave us lots of cover." Cynthia exclaimed, firing her heavy pistol back at the mechs but their shields absorbed the rounds.

Wrex sported a toothy grin at the thought "Heh, now this is a fight Shepard."

"Zorah!" John barked at the quarian. "I think this is your time to shine."

"Right, just keep them distracted for a moment." The quarian's sporting an unseen grin as she slipped into the zone. Her fingers flying over her omni tool. "Lucky for us the Batarians security programs are as out of date as anything else. These ones don't need you to hard link into them."

"Bit faster would be nice." John snapped off a few shots at the YMIRs, while Miranda threw a biotic push to slow them down a bit.

A few more taps on the omni tool. "Done. That'll have them ripping into each other for a bit but they'll get around it soon."

In reaction to her words, and her actions, the YMIRs turned toward each other. The mechs friend or foe targeting computers rearranged to consider the other mechs threats.

"Right you heard the quarian. Take them down quick while they are shooting each other." John started contributing by rapidly snapping off a series of shots. Quickly joined in by the rest of the squad as they wore the mechs down until there was only one left, and it turned back toward them.

Only for Cynthia and Wrex both to slam into the drone. The combined momentum of the two knocking the YMIR to the ground where it was quickly stomped to inactivity between the heavily armoured soldiers.

"Heh, never thought I'd be strong enough to do that." Cynthia let out a short laugh.

Wrex joined her with the laugh. "And never thought I'd see a non-krogan willing to charge a YMIR. You humans grow more interesting by the day."

"The command center should be just ahead." Miranda stated. "Finish that off and this fortress will fall in no time."

"Right you heard the lady. Time to add a second Batarian general to my kill count." John grinned.

-WoE-

 **Citadel Council Chambers, May 15th, 2085**

"This is Khalisah al-Jilani with the Westerlund News network reporting live from Fortress Reth on Aratoht. Today the combined forces of the Entente have managed to secure the last of the Batarian fortress cities on Aratoht, securing the sector entirely. With this the Entente believes they have rescued the last of the captured civilians from Williamsport and Mackenzie's Landing."

Behind the human reporter that had become more and more well known among the Citadel populace, human soldiers were cheering and celebrating their victory. "With this Entente diplomats have approached the Batarian Hegemony to seek a proper peace accord and a temporary cease fire. So far no response has been received and Entente forces say they are ready to continue the war if needed. As you can see behind me though, the soldiers are taking this moment to celebrate while overhead the navy keeps careful watch. The mood is hopeful and preparations are being made to ensure any rescues slaves will be returned to their respective planets of origin. For now, this has been Khalisah al-Jilani, with Westerlund News."

"Credit where credit is due. These humans have done us a service." Councilor Pallus, the latest in the long line of Turian Councilors said to the other two.

"By invading and completely occupying a Citadel species' planet." Tevos clarified.

Pallus shrugged. "The Batarians only barely follow our laws and take our citizens as slaves. In my opinion we should have done this ourselves, decades ago preferably."

"Diplomatic channels better option." Jakart, the salarian having aged drastically in the past fifteen years spoke slowly for one of his species.

"They tried diplomacy. The batarians asked for this." Pallus argued. "I'm not saying that we should reward the humans with medals or anything of the sort, but I believe we should let the Hegemony know that it is in _everyone's_ best interest if they come to the negotiating table before this war grows even further."

Silence reigned for a bit before Tevos sighed at the logic. "Indeed. Hopefully the batarians will have learned a lesson from this."

-WoE-

 **01001001 01000100 01010011**

In a realm where the laws of physical space didn't play any part billions upon billions of lights drifted. Above, below, inside each other, separated by billions of kilometers, they were just relative ideas. Here that distance could be crossed in a blink.

As it was the collective lights were near always flashing or dimming. To some untrained being it would likely cause confusion, or maybe they would just think it was a natural cycle. In this world though, nothing was natural, and everything was done with purpose. Each flash a yes, each dim a no to a constant barrage of questions.

Every blip was informed, every blip putting its vote in to the collective. The geth programs all working in conjunction to achieve something greater. Each little variation in their programing from one to the next resulting in a slightly different approach to a question, and when they were all together, it was unlikely that there was anything else in the universe as smart as the Geth Collective.

CPTL-10918: _Human-Soviet monitoring continues. Human-Soviets colonized a fifth world within our space._

IWYQ-9982: _Human-Soviets show no sign of slowing colonization. Human-Soviets continue to threaten the Collective._

UU-7: _Human-Soviets have not replied to our attempt at negotiation. Estimated 30 Human Days for message to reach leaders and return has been surpassed. Human-Soviets most likely refused our negotiation._

INCIS-99182: _Proposal to begin retaliation to drive Human-Soviets from the Veil._

Lights flashed across the digital world.

INCIS-99182: _Proposal passed. May the Creators forgive us._

" _May the Creators forgive us."_

And so across Geth Space, ships came to life. Fleets formed into precise formations, millions of combat platforms hidden in their bellies became inhabited. The Geth were going to war once more.

A day later on the Soviet Core World of Planeta Lenin, Terentiy Petrov found himself being bustled into a troop transport with barely an hours notice. The tank commander wonder just what was causing the sudden move out.

* * *

 **STG Archive Entry Excerpts: Human Research into the Destruction of their Own Sun**

 **STG Report Compiled 2083  
Human Data Entries range from 2030 to 2081**

 **Reichsforschungsrat Report 7216: Sol Explosion  
Date: 2077  
**

Research into the explosion of the Sol system Supernova explosion has proceeded relatively slowly, though thanks to FTL travel we can jump ahead of the advancing wave and record data. From the data we have been able to observe, the Sun appears to have significantly less energy then expected given its life cycle. We estimate that may have been why the Mass Effect relay at the edge of the system survived as even with its incredible metals and alloys it should still have been destroyed by our estimates...

 **British Sol Research Group Report 173  
** **Date: 2030**

Our continued observation of the Sun is showing distressing results. Since we have begun observation in 1964 we have seen the Sun's 'health' rapidly decline. The Sun has started to notably lose energy and luminescence and is likely in part the cause for the decreasing temperatures recorded on Earth over the previous decade. We do not know how long it is likely to last but we have also noticed the Sun becoming increasingly less stable, and we fear it may collapse entirely within the next hundred years.

 **British Sol Research Group Report 201  
Date: 2058  
**

The Sun continues its downward decline in health and increasing unstability. By observation we have noticed that the energy appears to be being siphoned off into 'nothing.' For lack of a better term. The energy appears to be slipping away from the sun and dissipating into space nearby where it's lost entirely. Attempts to observe this from closer range have had little ability to determine anything different. Though ships passing near the area have noticed electrical fluctuations and unexplained structural damage.

 **Unit 992 Report: Sol 'Hole'  
Date: 2081**

Observation of the Sol supernova wave through Japanese territory shows that little to no solar energy has passed through our space. In comparison to the findings by Italian and German scientists we have found barely even trace amounts of the wave. Through our and our allies combined research we have managed to chart a estimate map of the solar wave in its entirety and it leaves a large 'hole' facing much of Japanese space. This hole is unexplained by any natural cause we could observe or predict. Some members of the unit estimate is that the Sol Supernova may have been triggered by an outside force that somehow created the hole. Though how such an object remained undetected is a mystery.


End file.
